After decades of prohibition, Italy plans to go back to nuclear energy by 2027

Italy banned nuclear by the end of 1980 after the accident in Chernobyl, and a referendum in 2011 – after the Fukushima accident – kept the prohibition. However, the Italian Minister of Energy, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, confirmed plans to go back to this source by 2027, in an interview with the local newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

Pichetto stated, “Italy is ready to return to nuclear power, which represents a crucial choice that will not replace renewables but will complement them, ensuring a balanced and sustainable energy mix.”

Italy was a pioneer in the implementation of nuclear energy, installing three plants in the 1960s. However, after decades of prohibition, there are no active nuclear power plants. By 2023, around 45% of the electricity was produced using natural gas and 16% using hydropower as the International Energy Agency reports; other sources, such as wind and solar, have increased their share in the energy mix.

The minister confirmed that a bill is already being studied by the Department for Legal and Legislative Affairs of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to enable the development of this technology. With the new legislation, the government seeks to create simplified procedures for nuclear power plants that should be ready by 2027.

With the implementation of this source, Italy could move forward into compliance with its decarbonization commitments, and could potentially decrease energy prices, as Pichetto commented.