MILAN (ITALPRESS) – “We have been using nuclear power for a long time. We are not the only ones: there is a global race to the fourth generation nuclear that will revolutionize the marine transport”. Pierroberto Folgiero, Ceo di Fincantieri in an interview with “Il Corriere della Sera”.
“A nuclear-powered ship can sail for 20-25 years without any need for fuel and greatly reduce the environmental impact. For Italy and Europe a great opportunity,” he says. “With the fourth generation nuclear and automation in which we are leaders, we can also write a new chapter on growth, industrial chains, energy autonomy. In the naval world the miniaturization of reactors is not a novelty. There have been military applications for many decades. The fourth generation, however, has different safety features and uses alternative cooling systems to pressurized water. We study lead cooling.”.
On the power of the mini reactors Folgiero explains “They can be fed plutonium, that is, with the discard produced by the traditional reactor which in turn starts from uranium. This plutonium still has a huge energy charge and is ‘geopoliticament is more available. You don’t have to get it from those who extract uranium: it’s exhausted fuel of traditional reactors.”.
On this project Fincantieri is working “with different partners. We collaborate with the Navy as part of the Minerva project and with actors like Ansaldo Nucleare and Newcleo”. Italy is able to play this game, because “what you do not know is that we have significant skills. We are not a nuclear country, but many Italian companies and experts continue to work in major international nuclear programmes.” Folgiero, finally, on the first tests at sea, concludes: “I think it’s always difficult to indicate the times of technological innovation, experts now agree on the beginning of the next decade.”.
photos: IPA Agency
(ITALPRESS).
