On May 14, 2025, Italy gained its industrial vehicle for a return to nuclear energy. Enel, Ansaldo Energia and Leonardo have formally established Nuclitalia, a limited liability company headquartered in Rome, tasked with studying advanced nuclear technologies and assessing market opportunities in the sector. The ownership structure reflects each partner’s industrial weight: Enel holds 51%, Ansaldo Energia 39%, and Leonardo 10%.
The operational mandate is clearly defined. Nuclitalia will evaluate the most mature sustainable nuclear energy projects, with an initial focus on water-cooled small modular reactors. The process includes defining specific requirements for the Italian energy system and selecting the most suitable solutions based on thorough techno-economic analysis. The company will also pursue industrial partnerships and co-design opportunities, with particular attention to strengthening Italy’s domestic supply chain. The board of directors consists of seven members, chaired by Ferruccio Resta, former Rector of Politecnico di Milano. The chief executive is Luca Mastrantonio, head of Enel’s Nuclear Innovation unit. Institutional oversight involves the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Ministry of Enterprises.
The international backdrop against which Nuclitalia is taking shape is one of rapid movement. On the very same day it was founded, on the other side of the Atlantic, GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy received the green light from the Province of Ontario and Ontario Power Generation to begin construction of the first SMR in the Western world at the Darlington site in Canada. The reactor is the BWRX-300, a 300 MWe boiling water design that GE estimates can be built in 24 to 36 months using a modular construction approach. Key components, including the reactor vessel, are already in production. Four units are planned for the site in total. In parallel, the Tennessee Valley Authority has filed an application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a BWRX-300 at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and has received a $400 million federal grant from the Department of Energy.
On the commercial front, GE Vernova announced initiatives in Saudi Arabia — during President Trump’s state visit — worth up to $14.2 billion in total, aimed at supporting the country’s power generation capacity and grid stability. The package includes the supply of high-efficiency gas turbines, synchronous condensers, and maintenance services with Aramco and Saudi Electricity Company, as well as memoranda of understanding with ACWA Power covering turbines and electrification equipment. GE Vernova also announced the expansion of its GESAT facility in Dammam for the local production of gas-insulated high-voltage switchgear — the first such plant in the Middle East. The company has been present in Saudi Arabia for nearly 90 years, with an installed base exceeding 50 gigawatts.
Taken together, these three distinct developments — the launch of Nuclitalia, the Darlington construction start, and the Saudi agreements — paint a picture of an industry advancing on multiple geographic fronts simultaneously. For Italy, Nuclitalia represents the first concrete step toward a serious assessment of SMRs: not yet a technology choice, but a decision-making framework. Should the BWRX-300 meet its Canadian timeline and become the first operational Western SMR before the end of the decade, the analyses Nuclitalia is launching today will have real-world data to draw on. The road ahead is still long, but for the first time in decades, Italy is taking a seat at the table with both structure and capital in place.
