After the accident that took place in March 2011 at Fukushima, in Japan, Enel is actively working with institutions both at a European and national level in the single countries in which it operates. The aim is to define and execute the necessary safety test on operating plants. The operational safety monitoring system and tests, regularly performed by Enel on its plants aim at ensuring utmost safety in the Group’s nuclear facilities.
Enel considers electricity generation from nuclear source as a necessary ‘ingredient’, though not sufficient on its own, for the effective achievement of its energy and environmental strategy. Presently the Group has an efficient net nuclear capacityof about 5,330 MW, accounting for 5.5% of its total electricity capacity; production amounted to about 41 TWh in 2010, equivalent to 14% of total generation, allowing to avoid the emission of more than 30 million tons of CO2.
The Enel Group applies a number of guidelines to ensure the continual improvement of procedures and to push best practices as regards nuclear:
- Nuclear Safety and Radioprotection: the term Nuclear Safety includes activities aimed at preventing nuclear accidents and limit their consequences. The Nuclear Safety Oversight (NSO) Unit of the Nuclear Technical Area (ATN) is Enel’s interface with national and international bodies for the management of nuclear safety.
- Adequate plant management: processes defines in the INPO (Institute of Nuclear Power Operations), WANO (World Association of Nuclear Operators), EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) guidelines are shared by all the companies of the Enel Group that perform nuclear operations.
- Management of radioactive waste: public companies manage radioactive waste and are paid by means of a fund created during plant operations. All activities regarding waste management are performed according to quality criteria and standards, aligned with best practicesin this field, which ensure environmental safeguard and the welfare of people and future generations.
- EPR technology: Enel chose the EPR advanced third generation technology due to practical reasons, i.e. the excellent performance and the unique characteristics of EPR. This technology is the result of an evolution originated from the experience gained in over thirty years (and more than ten thousand years-reactor) of operations performed by designers and players at a global level, especially French and German . Like all other nuclear plants, EPR will produce electricity without CO2 emissions, thus helping to combat greenhouse gases and climate change.
- Training and Research: in 2010 Enel became vice-president of the Governing Board of SNE-TP, European Platform for sustainable nuclear power. It also launched a number of meetings between Italian participants in this platform, thus coordinating activities at a national and international level.
Last update: 19/07/2011
