On January 17, 2025, France and Italy will advance their collaboration on small modular reactors (SMRs) through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by EDF, its Italian subsidiary Edison, and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). This partnership aims to explore industrial applications of SMRs, focusing on thermohydraulic systems, passive safety systems, and technologies for cogeneration of electricity and heat for industrial needs.
Lorenzo Mottura, Executive Vice President of Strategy, Corporate Development, and Innovation at Edison, stated, "Thanks to our collaboration with ENEA, we are taking a concrete step towards utilizing new nuclear technologies to support the Italian industrial system, combining technical and scientific knowledge with nuclear plant management experience."
Alessandro Dodaro, head of ENEA’s nuclear department, remarked that this agreement strengthens Italy's position in Europe regarding innovative nuclear technologies, aiming to enhance the Italian industry’s entry into the European SMR market.
Bernard Salha, Technical Director of EDF, emphasized that this collaboration is an effective way to address barriers to deploying SMRs in Europe. "By leveraging our combined expertise and resources, we are committed to developing innovative solutions that contribute to Europe’s carbon neutrality goals."
This initiative follows EDF's previous agreements with various Italian firms to evaluate potential industrial cooperation in nuclear energy development, particularly in SMRs.
In May 2023, the Italian Parliament approved a motion urging the government to consider incorporating nuclear energy into its energy strategy, contrasting Spain's decision to adhere to its nuclear phase-out schedule established in 2019.