Nuclear is a rehabilitated word, after the European decision to include it in the glossary of sources useful for the ecological transition. The nuclear option, which was already present - albeit with different nuances - in the program of the center-right parties that won the elections, is once again a part of Italian energy policy. In fact, Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo Nucleare, the French giant EDF and its Italian subsidiary Edison have announced that they will collaborate on the development of new nuclear power in Europe, checking the potential for application in Italy. EDF is the world's leading nuclear power producer; Ansaldo, a subsidiary of the State through the Deposits and Loans Fund, develops components and services for the nuclear industry; Edison is Europe's oldest energy company. In the note outlining the agreement, the companies argue that nuclear power is one of the generation sources with the lowest CO2 emissions, ensures reduced land consumption relative to installed electric power, and allows optimal scheduling of production. The plants being considered are small modular reactors that require low investment and can be used to produce electricity and thermal power. However, the announcement will raise much controversy. The more time passes since the 1987 referendum, Chernobyl, Fukushima and other disasters of the recent past, however, the more irresistible the nuclear temptation seems to become. Plus, the invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the search for sources of supply other than the gas and oil we import. And it has thrown the door wide open to the nuclear option, whose technical and economic aspects are now being debated, but which is no longer a political taboo.
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