Italy Set to Relaunch Nuclear Program in Efforts to Decarbonize

The Italian government aims to initiate the policy process for restarting its nuclear energy program by the end of January, a move that could also support the emerging EU industry for small modular reactors.

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Italy may soon begin the necessary policy work to reintegrate nuclear energy into its energy mix, according to government sources. 

The first step will involve introducing a framework law on atomic energy by the end of January. The law will outline the fundamental principles and objectives governing the sector. Currently under review, the proposal includes establishing an agency to oversee Italy’s civil nuclear industry and ensure high safety standards.

The government had previously stated its intention to prioritize the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), hoping for a faster construction timeframe and possible future scalability. 

SMRs are smaller reactors with less power capacity — about one-third of a traditional one. But what they lack in megawatts, they gain in flexibility; they are easier to manufacture and set up, with lower upfront costs and shorter construction time, and can be primarily built in factories and shipped to their destination. This makes them a valid alternative for countries with limited power grid infrastructure or, as in Italy’s case, looking to gradually incorporate nuclear energy into their mix.

Through this technology, the Italian government aims to lower energy costs and contribute to decarbonization. However, the timeline ahead is substantial: implementing the necessary regulations is still expected to take about two years. Moreover, the government faces the far more significant challenge of addressing public scepticism, which, while it may have diminished compared to the past, remains strong. 

Italy was among the first countries to adopt nuclear energy but famously shut down all its plants in 1990 following a referendum spurred by the emotional aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. A subsequent attempt to revive nuclear power in 2011 also failed, with voters overwhelmingly rejecting the proposal. However, last October, the centrist party Azione and the Luigi Einaudi Foundation — a liberal think tank — submitted a popular initiative bill to the Chamber of Deputies advocating for the reintroduction of nuclear energy into Italy’s electricity mix.

A key innovation this time was the ability to support the petition using Italy’s digital identity system, via the Ministry of Justice’s public platform. This allowed citizens to participate digitally, signing the petition through a computer or smartphone. Activists exceeded expectations, collecting 73,000 signatures — almost 50% more than the threshold required to request a new referendum.

Most signatures (61%) originated from northern Italy, especially the Po River valley, a densely populated area with energy-intensive industries. Youth engagement was particularly prominent, with 66% of participants under 33 — likely due to their familiarity with digital tools. 

Women’s support for the petition was comparatively lower, representing only 15% of the total signatures. According to a preliminary report from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Radiant Energy Group, this is a common trend in nuclear energy support and may relate to factors such as political affiliation — women are more likely to align with left-leaning parties, which tend to oppose atomic energy — and differences in risk perception.

Despite the success of the signature campaign, the initiative still faces significant hurdles. 

Over the years, politicians skeptical of nuclear energy have cited several reasons for their opposition, including perceived technological risks, the absence of a domestic supply chain, and the costs of developing infrastructure. However, Italy already exports reactor components, and its nuclear industry and companies are involved in international projects such as International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which focuses on nuclear fusion development. Notably, Italy is ITER’s second-largest European supplier after France. This should be no surprise: Italy has a solid tradition in the nuclear sector dating back to the 1960s, with companies such as Ansaldo Nucleare and ATB Riva Calzoni.

Several of these companies specialize in producing essential, high-quality components for nuclear power plants, such as pressure vessels for large reactors, steam generators, heat exchangers, core cooling pumps, and tanks. They offer multidisciplinary engineering services, including design, analysis, construction supervision, and project management. Companies like SIET and RINA even provide testing and certification services for nuclear components and systems, ensuring safety and quality standards compliance.

Thus, in the end, the future of nuclear energy in Italy will depend less on its industrial capacity and more on the ability of policymakers and experts to engage with the public and dispel lingering misconceptions about the technology. 

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The necessity of nuclear energy becomes even more apparent when comparing its two other European peers. Germany, for example, has spent the last decade focusing heavily on renewables. Yet, it continues to struggle with high carbon intensity. Since solar and wind are intermittent power sources, the country relies heavily on coal, which remains a significant part of its energy mix. Germany’s coal consumption in 2023 accounted for roughly one-third of the EU’s total, measured in terawatt-hours. To put this into perspective, if we combined the yearly coal consumption of France and Italy and multiplied it by four, we would still fall short of Germany’s usage — highlighting just how far from “green” Germany’s power grid is these days.

Meanwhile, with around 70% of its electricity needs met by nuclear power, France maintains one of Europe’s lowest-carbon electricity grids. Italy is also less suited for mass adoption of renewables due to its predominantly mountainous geography. Not to mention that a substantial portion of Italy’s economy and industries — over 50% of its two trillion euros GDP — is concentrated in the Po Valley. This region is less sunny than the country’s southern parts and is surrounded by mountain ranges, making wind energy impractical. Most energy in this region comes from hydropower, already a low-carbon source, and natural gas, which could be replaced by nuclear plants, making energy cheaper and less polluting while also contributing to the stability of the EU power grid. 

Here is where the scalability of small modular reactors becomes particularly appealing, as they enable local authorities to add more power capacity as demand grows. And since several Italian companies, like Astra Refrigeranti and aforementioned ATB Riva Calzoni, are already active in the SMR sector, the country may even have a head start. Moreover, the EU is currently pushing for the development of SMRs as part of its overall energy strategy, which could open doors to funding and collaborative opportunities within the bloc. On top of that, a homegrown European SMR sector could prove highly profitable, with significant export potential beyond the EU, in a global market estimated to be between US$400-600 billion.

Nevertheless, the EU — and Italy as one of its member states — will still have to find ways to differentiate and stand out in this increasingly crowded field. Several countries, including the US, China, and Russia, are already investing heavily in developing their SMR industry to gain a competitive edge. Ultimately, only time will tell whether this strategy will become one of the cornerstones of Italy and Europe’s energy future or a mere missed opportunity in the race for energy innovation.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons.