Edison, EDF, Nuvard, Italian firms sign SMR nuclear deal

Edison, EDF, and several Italian firms have signed agreements to advance the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Italy and across Europe. The collaboration includes EDF’s Nuward SMR technology, which is designed to replace aging fossil fuel plants and support industrial applications such as hydrogen production and district heating. The agreements aim to leverage the technical and industrial expertise of the involved parties, including EDF’s nuclear experience, Edison’s role in Italy’s energy transition, and Ansaldo Energia and Ansaldo Nucleare’s engineering capabilities.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between EDF, Edison, and ENEA, Italy’s nuclear research organization, to explore industrial applications of SMRs, including passive safety systems and thermo-hydraulic technologies. The collaboration also includes training and knowledge exchange between researchers and PhD students. In addition, EDF, Edison, Federacciai, Ansaldo Energia, and Ansaldo Nucleare signed an MoU to promote nuclear energy for the decarbonization of the Italian steel industry, with potential co-investment opportunities in SMR construction over the next decade.

Italy has historically been absent from nuclear energy production since the 1990s, but recent policy shifts and growing energy security concerns have prompted renewed interest in nuclear power. The Italian government included potential new nuclear capacity in its National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, submitted to the European Commission in July 2024. These developments reflect a broader European trend toward nuclear energy as a complement to renewable sources in achieving carbon neutrality goals.