Italy may restart nuclear power generation by 2035

Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Security Gilberto·Pichetto·Fratin (Gilberto Pichetto Fratin) stated that the Italian government does not rule out the possibility of restarting domestic nuclear power generation by 2035. If mass production of nuclear reactors begins by the end of this decade, their construction time could be shortened to three to four years. This might allow Italy to begin generating electricity in 2034 or 2035.

The bill aims to establish the legal framework needed for Italy to build new nuclear reactors. Since the referendum held after the 1987 Chernobyl nuclear accident and the closure of the last nuclear power plants in 1990, Italy has consistently prohibited nuclear energy.

However, geopolitical uncertainty and the highest electricity costs in Europe have prompted Rome to reconsider its long-standing position on nuclear energy. Pichetto·Fratin pointed out that the energy crisis related to the situation in Ukraine and developments in the Gulf region have exposed Italy's “excessive dependence” on foreign energy supplies, making nuclear energy a “national security” issue.

In addition, Italy's electricity demand is expected to increase significantly over the next 10 to 15 years. This growth is expected to be driven by the electrification of transportation and industry, as well as the expansion of data centers needed to support artificial intelligence.