Italy Moves to Approve Advanced Nuclear Legal Framework, Paving Way for Small Modular Reactors

Italy's parliament is expected to approve a bill next week establishing a legal framework for advanced nuclear technologies, covering next-generation nuclear solutions such as small modular reactors (SMRs). If passed, the bill would authorize the government to formulate specific rules within one year on reactor licensing, safety regulation, radioactive waste management, and site selection.

Italy's Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, stated that the government's current responsibility is to create the necessary conditions so that entities responsible for future construction decisions can proceed in accordance with the law.

In June this year, the Italian Chamber of Deputies passed the bill with 155 votes in favor, 86 against, and 8 abstentions. The bill itself does not mean an immediate resumption of nuclear power generation in Italy, but it will kickstart the development of a regulatory framework, creating conditions for reintroducing nuclear power in the first half of the next decade. The bill has now been submitted to the Senate for a second reading, with approval expected in the near future.

The government led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni considers the development of advanced nuclear energy as a measure to enhance energy autonomy, stabilize energy prices, and accelerate greenhouse gas emission reductions. The government's current focus is not on restarting large traditional nuclear units, but rather on shifting toward small modular reactors and other advanced nuclear technologies. Supporters argue that these technologies better align with current energy system needs in terms of safety, construction timelines, and operational flexibility.

Italy was among the earlier European countries to develop nuclear power. Four commercial nuclear power plants—Caorso, Enrico Fermi, Garigliano, and Latina—collectively contributed nearly 5% of the country's electricity between 1986 and 1987. Following the Chernobyl accident in 1987, Italy gradually phased out nuclear power through a national referendum, shutting down its last two commercial plants, Caorso and Enrico Fermi, in July 1990.

Italy subsequently attempted to resume nuclear energy development, but those plans were shelved after the Fukushima accident in Japan in 2011. In recent years, energy security pressures and growing electricity demand have prompted Italy to reassess its nuclear energy policy. Pichetto Fratin stated that, if progress proceeds on a realistic timeline, the first next-generation reactors could be commissioned between 2033 and 2035.