The right-wing government of Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni plans to restore nuclear power. The last nuclear power plant in the country was closed 35 years ago to reduce carbon emissions. This was stated by the Minister of Environment and Energy Security of Italy Gilberto Piketto-Fratin, the Financial Times reports, UNN writes.
Details
According to Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratina, Rome plans to pass a law to enable investments in small modular nuclear reactors that can be put into operation within 10 years.
He noted that, according to the plan, nuclear power should account for at least 11% of the country's total electricity consumption by 2050, as Italy seeks to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels.
To guarantee a continuous supply of clean energy, we must introduce a nuclear energy quota,
In addition, Maloney's government is skeptical of renewable technologies such as solar and wind power, which Fratina claims "cannot provide the necessary security.
He stated that Rome is also concerned about the over-reliance on solar panels, which are mostly produced in China.
It is clear that the development of solar energy is closely linked to imports from China... a country that has a very government-controlled enterprise system, which can be both a political and commercial tool,
In addition, small nuclear power plants are more efficient because only four hectares of land are required to produce 300 MW, which is only a fraction of the land required for solar parks.
He expressed confidence that the historical "aversion" of Italians to nuclear energy, which was formed after the Chernobyl accident, can be overcome, given that the latest technologies have "different levels of safety and benefit families and businesses.
For reference
In the 1960s and 1970s, Italy built four nuclear power plants, planning an ambitious expansion of its nuclear capacity. However, after the 1986 Chernobyl tragedy, Italians overwhelmingly voted in a national referendum to end subsidies for the development of new reactors.
For example, amid a surge in anti-nuclear sentiment, Italy decided to close all existing nuclear power plants, the last of which ceased operation in 1990.
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