New nuclear power, up to 46 billion market for the Italian supply chain

Up to 46 billion euros of potential turnover for Italian companies by 2050. This is the size of the market that new nuclear power could open up to the national supply chain according to Teha Group, which presented its estimates in Trieste in a meeting promoted with Bureau Veritas and with the involvement of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region. The direct added value is estimated at 14.8 billion euros. It rises to around 50 billion for the entire Italian economy including the indirect effects on suppliers and those induced by the spending of the income generated.

The scenario assumes the installation of a maximum of 20 small modular reactors (SMRs) in Italy between 2035 and 2050. With 6.8 gigawatts of overall capacity, the plants could cover around 10% of national electricity demand by mid-century. Teha has identified around 70 Italian companies already active in nuclear power, with skills ranging from the production of large components to engineering, from instrumentation to forging, up to assembly and installation.

"The development of SMRs in Italy alone can activate a market of significant size for our supply chain, but the opportunity is even broader if we look at the ability of Italian companies to position themselves in the international nuclear market", declared Alessandro Viviani, associate partner of Teha Group. Internal demand could help companies qualify as suppliers and consolidate skills that can also be used in projects abroad.

The training calendar precedes that of the installations. According to Teha, some professionals must be available more than ten years before the reactors start up. The estimated need for 2050 is between 50 thousand and 60 thousand people to be trained, with a 40-50% share of white-collar and professional profiles.