Le nucléaire, Pichetto Fratin accélère: "La loi de délégation peut être adoptée avant la pause estivale"

Italy's government appears poised to accelerate its nuclear energy revival, with Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin indicating that legislation enabling the return of nuclear power could be approved before the summer recess of Parliament. During an event titled "From Fermi to the Future, Dialogues on Sustainable Nuclear Energy," held at Rome’s Ara Pacis, Pichetto Fratin outlined the roadmap for the reform. Following the Senate Environment Committee’s approval of the bill, rejecting all amendments proposed by opposition parties, the minister expressed confidence in the legislative timetable. He stated that all conditions are in place for progress, though the final schedule will depend on the conference of parliamentary group leaders. However, there is a likelihood the law could be passed prior to the summer break. The passage of the delegated law marks just the beginning of the process. According to Pichetto Fratin, the subsequent phase involves implementing decrees that determine whether the initiative moves forward effectively or remains merely a regulatory framework. He emphasized that it would be misleading to suggest the draft law emerged from nothing, noting that it stems from two-and-a-half years of work by national experts, major institutions, and universities who have already established a comprehensive action plan. The delegated law sets the general parameters, including procedures for authorization, funding mechanisms, and compatibility with international regulations. More detailed technical aspects will be addressed through implementing decrees, which the government aims to finalize by year-end, as requested by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Among these implementing measures will be a decree concerning the national repository for radioactive waste. Pichetto Fratin confirmed that this decree will redefine the approach and allow for further evaluations. Potential sites under consideration include military areas, he added. The minister distinguished between different types of waste. For high-level waste, he mentioned approximately twenty blocks of spent fuel from older plants, which can be stored in a 200-square-meter environment. These materials currently reside abroad due to agreements with France but must eventually return to Italy and be incorporated into a geological repository to be identified at the European level. For medium- and low-level waste, the focus is primarily on materials generated from decommissioning old plants and medical activities. These wastes are already produced today and are distributed among over a hundred repositories. Even items such as gloves, hospital gowns, and X-ray films are classified as radioactive and require appropriate handling. Regarding small modular reactors (SMRs), Pichetto Fratin suggested that Italy is not starting from scratch but rather building upon existing advancements. He noted that after France, Italy has the most developed industrial system closest to the nuclear supply chain. Many Italian companies are already engaged in constructing facilities overseas, with the latest major European plant built by Enel in Slovakia. The key challenge lies in expertise, he said, emphasizing the need for specialized knowledge in this field.