Nuclitalia has been created: Enel, Ansaldo Energia and Leonardo join forces on research on nuclear power

Enel, Ansaldo Energia and Leonardo have formalized the establishment of Nuclitalia, a company that will be in charge of studying advanced technologies and analyzing market opportunities in the new nuclear sector. The stakes in the capital of Nuclitalia, a limited liability company (in Italian, S.r.l.), are held by Enel (51%), Ansaldo Energia (39%) and Leonardo (10%). 

Nuclitalia will be in charge of assessing the most innovative and mature designs of new sustainable nuclear power, with an initial focus on water-cooled Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The process will include defining specific requirements for the Italian system and selecting the most promising solutions based on in-depth technical-economic analysis. The company will also evaluate opportunities for industrial partnerships and co-design with an approach based on innovation, environmental and economic sustainability, as well as enhancing the skills of the Italian supply chain.

Nuclitalia’s shareholders have also defined the corporate offices. The Board of Directors will be composed of seven members and chaired by Ferruccio Resta, former Rector of the Politecnico di Milano. Luca Mastrantonio, Head of Enel’s Nuclear Innovation unit, will take on the role of CEO. 

The board is completed by five other managers from the shareholder companies, selected on the basis of their strong technical skills as well as major experience. They will make these qualities available to the new company, actively contributing to its growth. In the coming weeks, a technical committee will also be set up with the aim of supporting Nuclitalia’s technological analysis activities.

The transaction qualifies as one with related parties as Enel, Ansaldo Energia and Leonardo are all companies under the common control of Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. Specifically, it represents for Enel a transaction of “minor importance” for which, in compliance with the provisions of the relevant Consob regulations and the Enel Procedure for transactions with related parties, a reasoned favorable opinion was issued by the Related Parties Committee, which positively assessed Enel’s interest in the completion of the transaction itself as well as the convenience and substantial correctness of the related conditions. For Leonardo, the transaction benefited from the exclusion from the application of the regulatory and procedural provisions regarding transactions with related parties, as a transaction "of a Small Amount" pursuant to the "Procedure for Transactions with Related Parties” adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors.