Eni:«The first industrial fusion nuclear power plant by the early 1930s»

The words of Francesca Ferrazza, head of the fusion group, at a hearing at the Senate Environment Commission

Eni plans to build the first industrial fusion nuclear power plant in the early 1930s.This was guaranteed by the head of the fusion group, Francesca Ferrazza, in a hearing at the Senate Environment Commission.Eni participates in the Commonwealth Fusion System (CFS) project in the United States, a spinoff of the Boston MIT, with the magnetic confinement technique.The Italian group plans to help build the first Cfs-Sparc pilot plant in the mid-2020s.The first industrial plant connected to the grid, the Cfs-Arc, is planned for the early 1930s, and new power plants in the second half of the decade.

Collaboration with Italian universities

In our country Eni has a 25% joint venture in the Dtt (Divertor Tokamak Test) project, together with Enea (which has 70%) and with research institutions and universities (which have the remaining 5%).DTT studies the management of the enormous amount of heat from the hydrogen plasma inside the reactor (100 million degrees).Collaboration projects are underway with the Cnr and various universities (Polititecnico di Milano, Bicocca, Tuscia and others) on specific components.In the world, according to what was said today in the Commission, there are 140 experimental fusion machines, 3/4 public and 1/4 private.And a Fusion Industry Association, with 80 members, 43 of which are private industries.There is talk of investments of over 6 billion dollars.«The Italian fusion supply chain is among the leaders globally – declared Ferrazza – and our research centers and universities are among the most advanced.But for the merger, specific legislation is needed, as the United States and the United Kingdom have agreed and as Germany and Japan are doing."

(on the cover an aerial view of the Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant, taken with a drone, in Germany, 10 April 2023.The last three nuclear power plants in Germany, Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland, will close on April 15, thus completing the phase-out of nuclear power in Germany.Photo Ansa/EPA/RONALD WITTEK)