Nuclear power in Italy in the spotlight. On the one hand, the war in Ukraine relaunches the need to strengthen energy independence, on the other, however, Sogin continues the mandate received: that of closing down the old nuclear power plants rejected by the 1987 referendum.
The company, wholly controlled by the State, "closed 2021 with a forecast of physical progress of the decommissioning activities of nuclear plants equal to 7,2%, well beyond the budget target initially set at 6,6%", informs a statement. This fact, added to the additional 10% to be achieved in 2022, brings the cumulative value for the two-year period to 17%. This is a much more significant value - Sogin points out - compared to that of the previous twenty years, stopped at just 28,3% of decommissioning activities carried out. To carry out the interventions in 2021, Sogin completed 578 contracts for a value of almost 177 million euros.
Nuclear in Italy, the dismantling sites of the reactor core
We are also proceeding with the more delicate activities, i.e. those relating to the "dismantling of the reactor core of the Garigliano nuclear power plant, while on 31 December last Sogin completed phase 1 of the Global Plan for the decommissioning of the Bosco Marengo FN plant, the first Italian nuclear plant in which the Company has completed the decommissioning activities. In the Plutonium Plant (IPU) of the Casaccia site, Sogin instead completed at the end of 2021 the dismantling of the 56 Glove Boxes (SaG) "used for research activities on the production of plutonium-based nuclear fuel elements
The choice of site for the National Radioactive Waste Repository is also progressing
All this also pushes to tighten the times for the choice of the site where to build the National Deposit of radioactive waste and Technology Park. The public consultation on National Charter of Potentially Suitable Areas (Cnapi) hosting the filing ended on 14 January last, after having collected over 600 questions, observations and proposals from 322 subjects (private individuals, institutions, stakeholders) who participated. The process of public debate was started by Sogin on January 5, 2021 with the publication of the site map potentially suitable for hosting the National Repository.
The ball now passes to the government. By March 15, Sogin will send the government - which will have to evaluate and approve it - the proposal National map suitable areas (Cnai). At that point, the Cnai will be public. Regions and local bodies will be able to present their expressions of interest and, after further steps, it will be possible to proceed with the location of the Deposit. The widely participatory path must necessarily arrive at a final choice: Italy cannot, both for economic reasons and above all for security reasons, continue to have a myriad of nuclear sites and mini-depots where they are "disposed of". nuclear waste from industrial production and medical equipment.
