Under the memorandum of understanding, GEH will work with EnergyLab to explore opportunities for new nuclear power plants based on GEH’s ABWR and ESBWR reactor designs.
EnergyLab (Fondazione EnergyLab), a Milan-based non-profit organization, collaborates with some of Italy’s energy companies, universities and local governments to help solve the country’s energy and environmental challenges.
Aiming to reduce dependence on imported energy sources and meet environmental goals, Italy’s government in 2008 ended a ban on domestic nuclear energy production and unveiled plans to build eight to ten new nuclear power stations. Nuclear energy is becoming an increasingly attractive option globally because it generates electricity with virtually zero carbon emissions, the company said.
About 10% of Italy’s electricity is generated by nuclear power, but all of it is imported, according to the World Nuclear Association. The Italian government has set a goal of producing 25% of the country’s electricity from nuclear energy by 2030.
The US and Italian governments had signed a bilateral civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement in September 2009, supporting GEH and other US companies’ ability to supply Italy with nuclear reactor technology and services.
Silvio Bosetti, general manager for EnergyLab Foundation, said: “To deliver on EnergyLab’s mission, we aim to disseminate as widely as possible knowledge regarding advanced nuclear technologies. We think that our collaboration with GEH will support this mission, widening access for our country to a well-experienced nuclear technology, and this will help start the nation’s new nuclear energy program.”
GEH participated in the launch of Italy’s first domestic nuclear energy program on behalf of Enel, which included an 860MW, boiling water reactor (BWR) nuclear power plant. This station operated from 1978 until it was closed as the country ended its first nuclear energy program.
