The two Italian companies are planning to work together over the next five years on the development and construction of an SMR, followed by the beginning of work on an advanced modular reactor (AMR).

In the world of nuclear design, reactors are classified by which generation of technology they use. At present, almost all reactors are third or “third-plus”, apart from one fourth generation unit in China’s Shidao Bay plant.AMRs are SMRs that make use of fourth generation technology, which typically produce less radioactive waste, are more fuel efficient, can cool themselves in the event of a disaster, or are well suited to a closed-loop systems, in which waste is reprocessed into fuel.

The move fits in with Italy’s plans to restart its nuclear industry. As GCR reported in July, the government hopes to have at least 11% of the country’s power supplied by domestic nuclear plants by 2050, thereby reducing Italy’s reliance on imported fuel. The government is particularly interested in SMRs because of the relatively small amount of land they need.

Ansaldo Nucleare is part of the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs, which is part of an EU drive to advance this technology in Europe.

It has also joined with EDF and Italian energy company Edison to develop SMRs, and has begun the development of a lead-cooled SMR with US engineer Westinghouse and “other European partners”.

Webuild comments in a press statement that its memorandum “forms part of a promising outlook for the nuclear sector, with increased investments expected in new plants across the globe with the aim of delivering around 650 GW of capacity by 2050”.

It adds that Ansaldo Energia, the parent of Ansaldo Nucleare, has worked on more than 280GW of installed power across the world, mainly by producing gas and steam turbines.