Italian steelmakers follow the development of technologies in nuclear energy

Italian steelmakers are interested in purchasing nuclear power, Antonio Gozzi, president of the Italian steelmakers’ association Federacciai, said at a recent hearing in the Chamber of Deputies. This is reported by ANSA.

Federation members are following with interest the development of Smr (small modular reactors) and Mmr (micromodular reactors) technologies. They expect that, given the time it takes for the government and parliament to initiate new regulation and experimentation, we can expect to see these types of plants emerge within 10 years, which will be a structural solution to the energy supply problem.

“Renewables are good, but our working hours are 8,000 hours a year, and when we manage to cover 2,000-2,500 hours with renewables, we face the problem that the rest of the time has to be decarbonized,” Gozzi said.

At the same time, according to Federacciai’s president, in the absence of a single European price, the Italian energy-intensive industry pays an average of €120/MWh compared to €65/MWh in Germany and €42/MWh in France. According to Gozzi, if the government continues its policy of support for energy-intensive industries, these 10 years will be manageable. Otherwise, there is a risk of gradual displacement by competitors and a plunge into crisis not only for the steel industry, but also for other sectors that are fundamental to basic supply chains.

As GMK Center reported earlier, French energy company EDF and Italian steelmakers are considering joint investments in nuclear power. EDF has signed an agreement with the Italian subsidiary of Edison, equipment manufacturers Ansaldo Energia and Ansaldo Nucleare, and Federacciai to explore joint investment opportunities in the sector. The Memorandum of Understanding provides for the promotion of cooperation in the use of nuclear energy to increase the competitiveness and decarbonization of the Italian steel sector. The signatories of the agreement, in particular, undertake to consider joint investment in the construction of SMRs in Italy over the next decade.