Left-wing party France Unbowed accuses government of siding with Israel

Issued on: 23/10/2023 -

02:59

Left-wing party France Unbowed President Mathilde Panot on Monday said the French government is doing nothing to stop the Israel-Hamas war from spreading. Panot said the Hamas attack on October 7 can only be understood in a wider context of colonial war conducted by Israel agains the Palestinian people for years. Panot's comments came after PM Élisabeth Borne reaffirmed France's support of Israel.

Is Hezbollah heading towards open conflict with Israel?

Beirut (AFP) – Cross-border exchanges between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been gaining pace as Israel battles Hamas militants in Gaza. But does the powerful Lebanese movement really seek to enter open conflict with Israel?


Issued on: 23/10/2023

A girl holds up a sign showing Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, during a rally in solidarity with the Palestinians in Lebanon's southern city of Nabatieh 

© MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP/File

Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

Israel's retaliatory bombing campaign has killed more than 5,000 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

As Israel and Hezbollah trade near-daily cross-border fire, AFP looks at the group's support for Hamas, its capabilities and whether the Shiite Muslim movement really seeks to open a new front against Israel from southern Lebanon.
Why does Hezbollah support Hamas?

Since the Hamas attack, tit-for-tat cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah has been relatively contained -- part of a delicate balancing act at the border.

Some 41 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, according to an AFP tally, mostly combatants but including four civilians, one of them Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah.

Four people have been killed in Israel, including three soldiers and one civilian.

Hezbollah, founded in the 1980s to fight Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon, is the only Lebanese faction to have kept its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war.

In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody conflict which left more than 1,200 dead in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 in Israel, mostly soldiers.

Hezbollah and Sunni Muslim group Hamas have long been part of a "joint operations room" that includes the Quds Force -- the foreign operations arm of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps -- a source close to Hezbollah previously told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The groups are part of the so-called "axis of resistance" -- Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian and other Iran-backed armed opposition to Israel.

Michael Young from the Carnegie Middle East Center said Hezbollah supported Hamas because ideologically they are "on the same wavelength in their opposition to Israel".

The "axis of resistance" has always tried to highlight that it is not simply a Shiite Muslim arrangement, he said, and "Hamas plays a significant role in giving this a cross-sectarian identity".

"Hamas is at the heart of the Palestinian issue, which is very much part of Hezbollah and Iran's revolutionary identity," Young added.
What are Hezbollah's capabilities?

Hezbollah is Lebanon's most prominent political and military player, with an arsenal including guided missiles that is considered more powerful than Lebanon's national army.

Tehran provides Hezbollah with financial and military support, while neighbouring Syria -- where the group has been fighting on the side of President Bashar al-Assad for years in his country's civil war -- facilitates the transfer of weapons.

Since the end of the 2006 conflict, Hezbollah has not had a visible military presence on Lebanon's southern border, which is patrolled by United Nations peacekeepers.

However, experts and reports say the group has positions, hideouts and tunnels in the area, whose territory its members know intimately.

In October 2021, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said his group had 100,000 armed fighters at its disposal, and the movement enjoys broad popular support in southern Lebanon.

For years, Nasrallah has boasted that his group's weapons could reach deep into Israeli territory.

In August, he said it would take just "a few high-precision missiles" for Hezbollah to destroy Israeli targets including "civilian and military airports, airbases, power stations" and the Dimona nuclear facility.
Will Hezbollah go further?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Hezbollah would make "the mistake of its life" if it started a war with Israel.

Analysts previously told AFP that an escalation could hinge on an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.

Imad Salamey, a political analyst from the Lebanese American University, said Hezbollah could escalate its attacks but also "doesn't want to distract attention from the ongoing conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis".

Carnegie's Young said Hezbollah's activities aimed to draw Israeli forces away from Gaza so the military push there "would be stalled or thwarted".

"Alternatively, they (Hezbollah) want to create such fear of a regional conflagration that there will be pressure at the United Nations, maybe this time supported by the United States, to call for a ceasefire," he added.

Both Young and Salamey expressed doubt that Iran would let Hezbollah enter into full-blown confrontation with Israel simply to ease pressure on Hamas.

"I don't think that Iran wants to sacrifice Hezbollah, and I don't think it considers this a necessity," Young said.

"Hezbollah can enter the battle within a certain contained limit," he added.

© 2023 AFP

INTRA IMPERIALIST RIVALRIES

Iran and Russia denounce West over Caucasus tensions

Tehran (AFP) – Iran and Russia on Monday denounced European and US interference in tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan at a meeting in Tehran aimed at finding a solution without the West.


Issued on: 23/10/2023 - 

The talks are seen as Moscow's attempt to reduce growing Western influence in the Caucasus © ATTA KENARE / AFP
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Armenia and Azerbaijan joined the talks in the Iranian capital seeking to ease the tensions, which soared with Baku's lightning offensive to retake the long-disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

On the same day as the meeting, however, Azerbaijan announced the start of joint military drills with its ally Turkey near the border with Armenia just weeks after Baku seized Karabakh from pro-Yerevan separatists.

At the meeting -- which also included foreign ministers from Turkey, Russia and Iran -- the envoys noted a push for peace in the Caucasus.

"The problems of the region cannot be resolved by the intervention of foreign forces," Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said, quoted by his office.

His foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said: "The presence of foreigners in the region not only does not solve the problems but complicates the situation".

At the end of the talks, his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov denounced "attempts by, first and foremost, the EU and, to a certain extent, the United States, to interfere in the process of delimiting" the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In a joint final declaration, the participants reiterated the "importance of peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity... and non-interference in internal affairs".

Lavrov, who had a one-on-one with Raisi, told the meeting that "the door remains open" for Georgia, which was absent on Monday, and that a further meeting was planned in Turkey around the first half of next year.

The talks are seen as Moscow's attempt to reduce growing Western influence in the Caucasus -- a region it has long considered as its backyard.

According to Moscow's original plan, the "3+3 format" was meant to also include Georgia. But Tbilisi, which aspires to join the EU and NATO, has rejected the proposal.

Since Moscow brokered a 2020 ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the European Union and United States have stepped up their own efforts to mediate a peace agreement between the two sides.

Russia, the traditional power-broker in the region, has seen its role diminished since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Azerbaijan-Turkey drills

Ahead of the talks, Azerbaijan's defence ministry said Monday it had begun joint drills with its ally Turkey near the border with Armenia.

Azerbaijan last month took control of the enclave in a 24-hour military operation that ended decades of Armenian separatist rule.

The ministry said "up to 3,000" troops would take part in the tactical drills held in the capital Baku, the Nakhichevan exclave between Iran and Armenia, as well as territories retaken from Armenian separatists.

The exercises -- dubbed "Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 2023" -- involve dozens of artillery weapons and aviation.

Baku said they were aimed at "ensuring combat interoperability" between the allies.

Tensions are running high between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a month after Baku's lightning offensive.

Yerevan fears energy-rich Baku may seek to press its advantage -- with the help of Ankara -- to forcibly connect its Nakhichevan exclave with Azerbaijan proper by capturing lands in southern Armenia, along the Iranian border.

Iran opposes the idea of a so-called Zangezur corridor, as it would create a direct land link between Azerbaijan and Tehran's historic rival Turkey.

Armenia said it is ready to reopen transport communications between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan via its territory under condition that its sovereignty over the area is not questioned.

Baku has denied having any territorial claims over Armenia.

Karabakh, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan and for decades home to a majority Armenian population, was at the centre of two wars between Yerevan and Baku -- in 2020 and in the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

After a months-long blockade of the region, Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive against Armenian separatist forces on September 19, 2023.

After less than a day of fighting, separatist authorities agreed to lay down arms and reintegrate with Azerbaijan.

Almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian population -- some 100,000 people -- fled for Armenia after the offensive, sparking a refugee crisis.

burs-dv/jsa

 'No one is protecting them': Israeli settler violence against Bedouin communities on the rise

Issued on: 23/10/2023 -

Ori Givati, advocacy director at Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence, speaks to FRANCE 24 about the violent displacement of Palestinian Bedouin communities at the hands of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. 

Panama police in standoff with protesters over Canadian-run mine

Panama City (AFP) – Police in Panama fired teargas Monday at protesters burning tires and blocking roads to protest a contract allowing a Canadian company to continue operating Central America's biggest copper mine.


Issued on: 23/10/2023 - 

The government says the mine generates about 8,000 direct jobs and 40,000 indirect ones, contributing 4.0 percent to GDP 

© Luis ACOSTA / AFP

The protesters are concerned about potential environmental damage from operations at the mine owned by First Quantum, one of the biggest copper extractors in the world.

After protests erupted on Friday and continued over the weekend, demonstrators again took to the streets Monday in Panama City and in other provinces, waving placards reading: "Protect our natural resources," and "Stop destroying our lands."

The government canceled school for the day for fear of riots, as traffic in Panama City was disrupted and some metro stations had to close.

Police said 25 people were arrested.

Opened in 2019, the open pit Cobre Panama mine, some 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the capital and 20 km from the Caribbean coast, can produce 300,000 tons of copper per year.

Police fired teargas to disperse protesters 

© LUIS ACOSTA / AFP

In 2021, Panama's Supreme Court ratified a lower court's ruling that the original concession of mining rights granted to subsidiary Minera Panama until 2037 was unconstitutional.

Negotiations between the government and First Quantum were reopened and finalized earlier this year.

The new contract determines that the company will pay the government at least $375 million each year -- ten times more than previously -- and allows First Quantum to operate in Panama for 20 years, renewable for another 20.

But opponents believe the amount is still insufficient, especially given potential threats to the environment, and protesters want a law passed Friday to formalize the agreement to be repealed.

The mine in Donoso, some 220 kilometers (135 miles) west of Panama City, produces some 300,000 tons of copper concentrate per year 

© LUIS ACOSTA / AFP

"We are in a fight against the sale of our homeland," said labor leader Saul Mendez.

The government says the mine generates about 8,000 direct jobs and 40,000 indirect ones, contributing 4 percent to GDP.

© 2023 AFP

Bobi, known as the oldest dog in the world, dies aged 31

Lisbon (AFP) – Bobi, who was this year ordained the oldest dog in the world by Guinness World Records, has died at the ripe old age of 31, Portuguese media reported Monday.


Issued on: 24/10/2023 - 

Bobi pictured earlier this year after being declared the world's oldest dog by Guinness World Records

 © PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP/File

"We have better memories of a long life where he was happy and, above all, where he made a lot of people happy, especially his family," Bobi's owner Leonel Costa told local media from the little village in central Portugal where he lives.

A purebreed Rafeiro, a Portuguese livestock guard dog whose normal life expectancy is between 12 and 14, Bobi was not supposed to make it beyond puppyhood.

He was born on May 11, 1992, along with three other pups in a wood storage shed owned by the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros.

Because the family owned so many animals, the father decided they could not keep the newborn puppies and the parents took them from the shed the next day, while the mother dog Gira was out, said Leonel Costa, who was eight years old at the time.

But they didn't realise they had left one puppy behind, and that puppy became Bobi.

"He died at the age of 31 years and 165 days," according to the Guinness World Records.

After he was declared the world's oldest dog in February, media and curious onlookers from around the world paid Bobi a visit.

© 2023 AFP

FIVE EYES SEZ:

Canada says China-linked 'spamouflage' disinformation targeted Trudeau

Canada on Monday warned of a "Spamouflage" disinformation campaign linked to China that used waves of online posts and deepfake videos manipulated to try to disparage and discredit Canadian lawmakers.

Issued on: 24/10/2023 

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rises to make a statement in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada September 18, 2023. 

The Global Affairs department said in a statement it had "detected a 'Spamouflage' campaign connected to the People's Republic of China."

The bot network, according to the government ministry, left thousands of messages on the social media accounts of dozens of members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, accusing them of criminal and ethical violations.

It started in early August and scaled up in September, it said, with the aim of "discrediting and denigrating the targeted MPs" and "silencing criticism of the CPP," or Chinese Communist Party.

This comes after tech giant Meta said in an August security report it had purged thousands of Facebook and Instagram accounts that were part of the widespread online Chinese spam operation.

Active across more than 50 platforms and forums including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, a Meta executive said it was believed to be "the largest" and "most prolific covert influence operation" in the world.

The network typically posted praise for China and criticisms of the United States, Western foreign policies, and critics of the Chinese government including journalists and researchers, the Meta report said.

Other targets have included Taiwan, Australia, Britain, Japan and global Chinese-speaking audiences.

Relations between Ottawa and Beijing hit a low this year following accusations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections and the attempted intimidation of MPs that led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May.

(AFP)

A major upset and uncertainty: Argentina heads to run-off

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Despite overseeing record inflation and poverty levels, Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa confounded expectations by scoring the most votes in Sunday's first-round election.

Issued on: 23/10/2023 - 

Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa came first with almost 37 percent ahead of Milei with around 30 percent of the vote © Emiliano Lasalvia / AFP

He goes to a run-off against his polar opposite: the wild-haired, libertarian Javier Milei, who has vowed to take a chainsaw to Argentina's notorious public spending and dollarize the economy.

AFP takes a look at what happened and what we can expect next.
Why the surprise?

Massa and the ruling Peronist movement were seen as the underdogs amid the economic shambles that has seen Argentina hit by inflation of almost 140 percent, with 40 percent of the population living in poverty.

In line with an anti-establishment trend in the region, many analysts saw fertile ground for Milei, whose slick TikTok campaign and rock-star style rallies captivated the youth.

However, Massa came first with almost 37 percent ahead of Milei with about 30 percent of the vote.

"Against all predictions," "Surprise," headlined major media, scrambling to understand how Massa pulled it off.
How did Massa pull it off?

According to analysts, Massa's performance is due to a mixture of fear of Milei, an enduring affection for Argentina's Peronist social movement, and his spending spree to lure voters.

Many analysts saw fertile ground for Javier Milei, whose slick TikTok campaign and rock-star style rallies captivated the youth 

© LUIS ROBAYO / AFP

Massa handed out bonuses to workers and the unemployed and slashed income tax for much of the population, all while highlighting what Milei's plans to cut subsidies would mean for people's pockets.

Many economists, and the International Monetary Fund which has bailed Argentina out 22 times, agree the country needs to stop spending more than it earns.

Milei appeared at rallies with a powered-up chainsaw, vowing to cut spending by 15 percent, ditch about 10 ministries, privatize state entities and "dynamite" the central bank.

And while voters are keen for change, Milei's proposals likely spooked many.

"A lot of Argentines have a lot to lose from the dismantling of the social welfare state," which millions depend upon, said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Argentina Project at the Washington-based Wilson Center.

Milei's "chainsaw is coming straight at family budgets," he added.

Massa, meanwhile, took "a series of economic measures that, even if they have a very serious fiscal cost in the future, benefited many in the immediate," noted political scientist Sergio Morresi of the University of Buenos Aires.
Where else did Milei falter?

Milei, an admirer of former US president Donald Trump -- and who had a son of former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro supporting him in his bunker on election night -- has introduced ideas that do not sit well with many Argentines, analysts say.

He is against abortion, has proposed making it easier to own guns and sell organs, believes mankind's burning of fossil fuels is not the cause of climate change, and said Argentine Pope Francis represents "evil on Earth."

Argentina heads to presidential runoff © Gustavo IZUS, Gabriela VAZ / AFP

A female lawmaker candidate from his party -- who won her seat -- has proposed allowing men to renounce paternity if they did not want their child.

"A lot of these views are out of sync with Argentine society," said Gedan.

"If you think Milei's success is a sign that Argentine society has become very conservative, then you're misreading Argentine politics and society. What has made him popular is his anti-establishment rhetoric," said Gedan.
What can we expect from the run-off?

Milei and Massa will contest the presidency on November 19, bringing weeks of more uncertainty, especially for the economy.

Analysts highlighted that Milei still managed a historic feat by coming from nowhere to claim second place in the first round.

"Milei, once seen as the frontrunner, now has an uphill battle to regain the momentum and stave off a defeat," said Nicolas Saldias, senior analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit.

He will have to shift to the center to shore up votes, and reach out to the Juntos por El Cambio (Together for Change) coalition which came third with almost 24 percent, after insulting its leaders throughout his campaign.

Massa, who has vowed to form a "unity government" if he wins, is presenting himself as the democratic, stable hand to lead the country, but will have to win over millions of disenchanted voters.

"The campaign promises to be extremely polarizing as both candidates will appeal to fear to get voters to back their candidacies," said Saldias.

Javier Milei will have to shift to the center to try shore up votes, and reach out to the Juntos por El Cambio coalition which came third with almost 24 percent, after insulting its leaders throughout his campaign

 © Luis ROBAYO / AFP

Morresi said that if the runoff is seen as a battle between authoritarianism and democracy, "the chances of the ruling party winning are very high."

"If the economic situation deteriorates... the opposition, even with a radicalized stance, have the possibility of triumphing."

© 2023 AFP

 

UK SMR selection contest: Six companies into next stage

02 October 2023

EDF, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC, Holtec Britain Limited, NuScale Power, Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Limited are now to be invited to bid for UK government contracts in the next stage of the process.

How each of the six designs might look (Composite image: Holtec, Rolls-Royce, Nuward, NuScale, GE Hitachi, Westinghouse)

The UK government has plans to expand nuclear energy capacity to 24 GW by 2050, with a fleet of small modular reactors (SMRs) a key part of that strategy. Earlier this year the government, and the new Great British Nuclear (GBN) arms-length body set up to help deliver that extra capacity, began the selection process for which SMR technology to use.

There are more than 70 different designs of SMRs around the world at different stages of development, and it is not known how many of them put themselves forward for selection, which GBN said was judged on being "the most able to deliver operational SMRs by the mid-2030s". The aim is for a final investment decision to be taken in 2029.

It says that the next stage of the contest will be launched "as soon as possible where the successful companies will shortly be able to bid for government contracts ... the ambition is to announce in Spring 2024 which of the six companies the government will support, with contracts awarded by Summer 2024. This timetable aims to make this competition the fastest of its kind in the world".

UK Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said: "Small modular reactors will help the UK rapidly expand nuclear power and deliver cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy for British families and businesses, create well-paid, high-skilled jobs, and grow the economy. This competition has attracted designs from around the world and puts the UK at the front of the global race to develop this exciting, cutting-edge technology and cement our position as a world leader in nuclear innovation."

Gwen Parry-Jones, CEO of Great British Nuclear said: "These companies will now be able to prepare for the next stages of the competition, aiming for a final contract agreement in the summer, potentially benefiting from significant support from the public purse. This is a hugely exciting day for the nuclear industry. For companies who were not successful in this initial process, the next opportunity could be the government’s consultation on alternative routes to market for nuclear technologies which is due to be launched soon. This will look at how to support newer technologies so that Britain can benefit from them as well."

The companies selected reacted with delight. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's President and CEO Jay Wileman said: "We are pleased that our SMR technology has reached the next stage of Great British Nuclear’s competition. We believe that our SMR, the BWRX-300, is an ideal solution for the UK’s energy security and decarbonisation goals. Customers in Canada, the US and Poland are investing in our technology and this global collaboration is helping accelerate its deployment. We look forward to continuing to develop a robust UK supply chain and to continuing our work with Great British Nuclear as we enter the next phase of the competition."

Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Chris Cholerton, said: "The Rolls-Royce SMR is a British solution to the global energy security and decarbonisation challenge. We welcome our shortlisting and are eager to build on this progress, moving quickly to the next stage where we can work to agree a contract and help the government reach its ambition to deliver up to 24 GW of nuclear power by 2050. We have the only SMR technology in a European regulatory approval process, putting us almost two years ahead of any of our competitors. Securing a domestic contract is vitally important to unlock the enormous global export potential of our clean energy technology."

Westinghouse Electric Company President and CEO Patrick Fragman said: "Congratulations to Great British Nuclear on their swift progress. We are proud to provide our proven, advanced AP300 SMR technology to build a more secure, cleaner energy future. Westinghouse will leverage our deep UK and global nuclear heritage, expertise and delivery in support of the UK’s net-zero and energy security ambitions. We look forward to this opportunity to demonstrate that the AP300 SMR is the best option for the UK."

NuScale's VOYGR SMR is the only one so far to have been certified by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and it says it is being considered in more than 10 countries around the world. It describes its design as "based on proven pressurised water-cooled reactor technology, and was developed to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, commercial-scale hydrogen production and other process heat applications".

Holtec's 160 MWe SMR is a pressurised light-water reactor using low-enriched uranium fuel. The design has completed the first phase of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's three-phase pre-licensing vendor design review and is undergoing pre-licensing activities with the US NRC. Holtec has also applied for a Generic Design Assessment of the SMR-160 in the UK. Among the countries it is being considered is Ukraine, with a cooperation agreement signed earlier this year with a target date of supplying power by March 2029, and potentially up to to 20 SMRs eventually across the country.

EDF is currently constructing the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK, the first new nuclear power plant in the country for decades. It is also planning to construct an "identical" plant at Sizewell C, with a financial investment decision awaited. The company's SMR is Nuward, which is "based on proven pressurised water reactor technology alongside key technological innovations". It says it will have a 40-month construction time and has a goal of first concrete on its first plant in France in 2030. It has begun prelicensing in France and has also held a joint early regulatory review of its design with regulators from France, the Czech Republic and Finland.

Great British Nuclear said earlier this year that it expected "up to four" technologies to be selected for support to pursue a project through Final Investment Decision to construction and operation, with the support including "funding to support technology development site-specific design, a close partnership with Great British Nuclear which will be ready and able to provide developer capacility" and support in accessing sites.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Edison eyes SMR deployment in Italy

06 October 2023

Leading Italian energy player Edison has announced its ambition to construct two nuclear power plants based on EDF's small modular reactor (SMR) technology between 2030 and 2040, if the conditions are created for the return of nuclear energy to Italy.

A rendering of a Nuward SMR plant (Image: Nuward)

The company, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary, said it aims to double EBITDA to a range between EUR2.0-2.2 billion (USD2.1-2.3 billion) by 2030 from EUR1.1 billion in 2022. It said this goal will be achieved by a significant change in the industrial portfolio, which will result in direct zero or near-zero emission activities accounting for 70% of EBITDA, compared with an average of 35% over the past three years. Edison added that its 2030 business portfolio will see zero-emission electricity generation accounting for more than 45% of the group's profitability.

By 2040, Edison said it aims to have 90% of its generation mix decarbonised through the use of renewables and new technologies, such as CO2 capture and possibly new nuclear power. It anticipates reducing its CO2 emission factor from 293 grams per kilowatt-hour in 2022 to 190 g/kWh in 2030 and as low as 50 g/kWh in 2040, reducing absolute emissions in parallel.

"Looking ahead to 2040, Edison believes that nuclear energy will play a key role in achieving the EU's carbon neutrality targets, as a source capable of providing stability to the electricity system, offsetting the intermittency of renewables sources," the company said.

"Nuclear power is one of the generation sources with the lowest CO2 emissions, ensuring a low land footprint to installed capacity ratio, and allowing optimal programmability of production. Moreover, new SMR technology can be used to produce both electricity and heat, responding in a highly flexible way to the needs of energy-intensive districts and territories.

"Edison has the ambition to develop new nuclear power if the conditions are created for its return to Italy. In particular, Edison aims to build two nuclear power plants of 340 MW each with SMR technology between 2030 and 2040, leveraging on distinctive technological competencies of the shareholder EDF."

Edison CEO Nicola Monti added: "140 years ago we started the process of electrifying the country and ushered in a new era. Today, we are a leader in the energy transition and our history of leadership has accustomed us to responsibly looking to the future of the country through our contribution to the security, stability and autonomy of the national energy system for the benefit of all our customers.

"This means always looking ahead and making courageous choices today, bringing all stakeholders to a serious debate on how to integrate security and independence of supply with economic and environmental sustainability while maintaining a technological neutrality. Therefore, Edison continues to invest in innovation to create new Italian and European supply chains in the ecological transition, ensuring that the transition to the new era is an opportunity for progress for all."

In March, France's EDF - majority owner of Edison - signed a letter of intent with Italy's Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo Nucleare and Edison to assess potential industrial cooperation for the development of nuclear power in Europe, including in Italy, specifically in the field of SMRs. At that time, the partners said they will assess the potential for the development and implementation of new nuclear power in Italy, "given the growing need for energy security and independence of the Italian electricity system".

EDF, through its Nuward subsidiary, is promoting the Nuward - a 340 MWe SMR plant with two pressurised water reactors (PWRs) of 170 MWe each. According to Nuward's SMR roadmap, the detailed design and formal application for a new nuclear facility is scheduled to begin in 2026, followed by first concrete in France in 2030 with the construction of that first unit anticipated to take about three years.

Italy operated a total of four nuclear power plants starting in the early 1960s but decided to phase out nuclear power in a referendum that followed the 1986 Chernobyl accident. It closed its last two operating plants, Caorso and Trino Vercellese, in 1990.

In late March 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Italian government approved a moratorium of at least one year on construction of nuclear power plants in the country, which had been looking to restart its long-abandoned nuclear programme. In a poll held in June of that year, 94% of voters rejected the construction of any new nuclear reactors in Italy. However, a poll conducted in June 2021 showed that one-third of Italians were in favour of reconsidering the use of nuclear energy in the country, with more than half of respondents saying they would not exclude the future use of new advanced nuclear technologies.

In May this year, the Italian Parliament approved a motion to urge the government to consider incorporating nuclear power into the country's energy mix. Last month, the first meeting was held of the National Platform for a Sustainable Nuclear, set up by the government to define a time frame for the possible resumption of nuclear energy in Italy and identify opportunities for the country's industrial chain already operating in the sector. It is planned to develop guidelines within nine months.