Confindustria-Sogin: building the Italian industry of nuclear decommissioning

08 March 2017

This morning, in the Pininfarina Room at Confindustria, the meeting "Closing the nuclear cycle: opportunities for Italian industry" was held, organised by the Confederation in collaboration with Sogin, the public company in charge of dismantling (decommissioning) Italian nuclear power plants and managing radioactive waste. Today's event will be followed by several meetings in the regions that host nuclear facilities undergoing decommissioning.
The initiative aims to strengthen the synergies between Sogin, reference business organisations and the Italian industrial fabric in order to seize the development opportunities related to the closure of the nuclear cycle, a sector in gradual expansion abroad in the coming years.
The meeting was opened by the President of Confindustria, Vincenzo Boccia, and by the Managing Director of Sogin, Luca Desiata, who underlined the value of the day.
The proceedings continued with a technical workshop on the Sogin supply chain, exploring the commissioning strategy and qualification process of local businesses, today over 350. These are strategic assets for the Company which help ensure safety, environmental sustainability and high technological standards.
In particular, in proceeding with decommissioning activities, it is currently a priority for Sogin to procure containers for the safekeeping of radioactive waste, in preparation for its subsequent disposal at the National Repository.
Sogin has designed these containers and is today launching a first tender for the supply of certain prototypes for the qualification of models for low-level waste.
This is a first concrete step towards procurement in the coming years of over 35 thousand containers for low-level waste, to which will be added those for medium-level waste. The production supply chain alone of these containers has a total value of approx. 250 million euros.
“Nuclear decommissioning - said Vincenzo Boccia, President of Confindustria - besides being a duty for the country's future, it is also a great growth and development opportunity. We have world-leading companies with cutting-edge technologies in waste disposal and
environmental sustainability. Today we have laid an important milestone for creating an industry able to intercept an increasing demand, both in Italy as well as abroad".
Today's meeting – said Luca Desiata, Managing Director of Sogin – stems from the common objective with Confindustria to create a decommissioning industry, an essential activity to complete the transition to a more renewable and sustainable energy system. In our work we already deal with – explained Desiata – partners and suppliers which, in terms of technology and know-how, represent Italian industrial excellence. Pooling the specific characteristics of each and creating a domestic industry is an opportunity for the country to be more competitive abroad, where the decommissioning sector is growing".