The 11th annual spring meeting of the Friends of Aspen, held in Milan at the Palazzo Trussardi alla Scala, was attended by members of the group as well as leaders and members of the Institute. The meeting centered around a debate on the issue of nuclear power in Italy, whilst at the same time offering an opportunity to introduce new members of the group, elicit suggestions for topics for future events and announce the group’s upcoming annual conference (the 14th in the series) to take place in the fall. The event also saw the welcoming of the group’s new president, Friend of Aspen Beatrice Trussardi, who was appointed on May 26 after the death of the former president Ennio Presutti on August 31, 2007.
Among the topics proposed for discussion at future events were: innovation (technological and otherwise) at all levels, with a focus on business innovation in the areas of culture, technology and financing mechanisms; the new frontiers of science; and fostering growth linked to people’s potential.
Discussion then turned to the topic of energy hunger coupled with the need to reduce the environmental and economic costs of energy production, an issue considered crucial for the future development and protection of the planet. Nuclear energy has made a comeback in Italy, but the problems and fears associated with it have also resurfaced. In order to decide on a future direction, it was felt important to understand where scientific research in this area currently stands. To this end, with the specific purpose of enabling an opinion to be formed, and for the latest technological advances and fourth-generation nuclear power to be explained, the guest speaker invited to address the meeting was nuclear physicist Elio Calligarich, coordinator of the Pavia section of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), and also actively involved at the INFN’s Gran Sasso National Laboratory as technical director of the ICARUS (Imaging for Cosmic and Rare Underground Signal) experiment, which has resulted in the creation of a revolutionary rare-event and neutrino-interaction detector.
It was acknowledged as evident that international energy policy is undergoing rapid change. The need for transition from fossil fuels to nuclear energy is also clear. However, those participating in the meeting felt that there needs to be a greater awareness of the fact that renewable energy sources are not entirely able to meet current electricity demand.
Wind, solar and geothermal energy alone are not sufficient, such that traditional forms of energy production still prevail. Nuclear power, on the other hand, could ensure a constant flow of energy, as it does not depend on the cycle of the seasons, the weather or day following night.
Indeed, given the urgent need, resorting to a technology considered more “advanced”, namely, “moderated” neutron fission, would seem inevitable. The drawback of this production method, however, is a very modest (less than 1%) use of fuel. Weighing up energy needs and the known or presumed availability of uranium-rich minerals, it is easy to predict that in the not-too-distant future there will be mounting pressure on this market, similar to that which currently exists for oil.
It was suggested that this situation could be resolved by fourth-generation nuclear power generation technology. Fission induced by fast neutrons “burns” 100% of uranium. It can also take advantage of the thorium cycle – thorium being a widely available mineral – and can “produce” its own fuel. Plutonium and, later on, most of the other waste from existing reactors could (in a short time) be burned up, thereby greatly reducing their radiotoxicity and mitigating a significant problem of nuclear technology.
Whilst it was conceded that it will take time to manage the complete fourth-generation “fuel cycle”, fast reactors capable of utilizing it could in fact be developed more quickly and can also be used with conventional fuel (namely, enriched uranium).
Indeed, some projects have already been launched in this area by the Euratom community, including with Italian participation, thanks to nuclear engineering companies that have succeeded in gaining international prominence in the fourth-generation nuclear energy field, particularly by contributing significantly to the design of the “ELSY” reactor – hailed as a “EURATOM success” at the Generation IV International Forum.
In conclusion, it was observed that the challenge ahead is full of opportunities, but that the risks inherent in this technology should not be ignored. Some reservations were expressed by participants who preferred to see energies invested in other alternatives and who felt nuclear power in Italy is still a long way off from resolving the immediate energy-resource needs of business.