“If we start in 2024, in 2032 we will be able to turn on the first switch of a nuclear power plant.” This is the intention expressed by Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini on the occasion of the fourth edition of the iWeek conference entitled “Nuclear, can it be done?” held yesterday in Rome, at Palazzo Altieri. «Also in 2032 – added Salvini – the first train on the Torino-Lyon line will pass. In the same year, the first train will travel from Bolzano to Innsbruck in 25 minutes and another train will pass over the Strait Bridge. In 2032 there will also be the first metro train that will connect Altare della Patria with Roma Norte.” Then the deputy prime minister spoke again about nuclear energy: «As a Milanese, I would like the first power plant in Milan, I would like a state-of-the-art reactor in my city, it is easy to say yes to nuclear energy, but in the neighboring province» . Salvini invited us to «reflect without ideology on the “trilemma” regarding energy sources (climate change, geopolitical independence, costs of raw materials, ed.): «Little ideology, a lot of rationality, information and scientific dissemination. The ideology led to coal consumption of +8% last year. Everyone with the Tesla and the scooter and while we were thinking about how to recharge the electric car, our German friends closed the nuclear plant and reopened the coal plants. Someone further east is building coal plants to supply us with electric cars.”
The Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Pichetto Fratin, present at the event, was of the same opinion and said: «The government is firmly committed to the issue of nuclear energy, this is the basic choice. Experts tell me that nuclear energy is viable and achievable in the early 2030s. We are not talking about third generation, but fourth generation, modular and fusion reactors. I am convinced that energy demand will grow constantly: Italy has committed to achieving neutrality by 2050, but compared to the use of fossil fuels, which are the fuel to eliminate, we still have a long way to go and the renewable energies will not be sufficient to provide a guarantee of continuity.” «My political commitment – said the Minister of Business and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso – from the beginning has always been characterized as supporting technological neutrality, therefore also the use of nuclear energy that can be done. Today we have a government and a majority that is completely cohesive to achieve this objective, and I personally have always been convinced of this option.”
Among the topics covered during the event, in addition to nuclear geopolitics with the alliances of the 12 EU countries in favor of introducing nuclear energy into the green taxonomy and the financial sustainability associated with it, new technologies were also discussed, ranging from from modern small modular reactors to the next modular microreactors. These technologies are distinguished from traditional nuclear reactors by their small size, which simplifies their construction and reduces capital costs, allowing the construction of plants even in locations with limited space. In addition, they have passive cooling systems and intrinsically safe fuel reactors. These aspects favor the reduction of the risk of nuclear accidents and the ease of plant management. The aim is to ensure that nuclear energy contributes to a sustainable energy future without compromising financial stability and social well-being. Among the speakers was the president of Sogin, Carlo Massagli: «Sogin guarantees safety, health and environmental protection in nuclear decommissioning, applying standards that are among the most rigorous in the world and with constant control by various bodies and institutions. This, combined with the professional heritage of our highly qualified technicians, allows us today to contribute to the development of the nuclear sector, as confirmed by the recent renewal of the agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency that designates Sogin as a collaboration center”.
Source: IL Tempo

Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.