Italy drops nuclear bombshell

Italy’s Industry Minister has revealed some news that is sure to cause a stir…

The Italian Government has announced that Italy is to restart its nuclear energy programme. The new development comes more than 20 years after it was scrapped by referendum in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster. Since then, Italy has become the world's biggest net importer of electricity.

Industry Minister Claudia Scajola explained: “Building a group of new-generation nuclear power stations will reduce the country's reliance on oil and gas. We can no longer avoid an action plan for a return to nuclear power, and construction is scheduled to begin by 2013”.

The step was part of the campaign manifesto of Italy's recently elected Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. However, according to the BBC, there is thought still to be strong public opposition to nuclear energy, and it is not clear how the government will override the 1987 referendum, following which Italy's four nuclear reactors were decommissioned.

Italy depends on oil and gas imports to meet more than 80% of its energy needs and its power prices are among the highest in Europe.