Italy to build four nuclear reactors by 2020

There is something I totally overlooked while writing earlier this week my article on how Europe goes forward on energy. Indeed, last month Italy announced its intention to build nuclear reactors this decade.

Italian electricity is both heavily reliant on foreign fossil sources (70 percent) and on imports (ten percent comes from France’s own reactors). Building four nuclear reactors will decrease both.

A total of ten reactors might be built by the next 20 years to enable the country to get 25 percent of its electricity from this low carbon source.

This is good news for EDF and Areva as the French companies will build the EPR reactors agreed upon.

Currently Italy imports large amounts of natural gas from Russia. This has been a large problem as Russia cut off its exports in 2009 because of problems with Ukraine.

One of the main consequences of this nuclear renaissance is the expected decrease in greenhouse gases emissions as nuclear power emits around ten times less carbon dioxide than natural gas.

For more details on the deal, please check out the full article from the ISN : Italy’s Nuclear Ambitions.

Be sure I will keep you updated of the advances of the program, so stay tuned !

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