Following the new centre-right government’s call for the reintroduction in Italy of nuclear power production, Enel SpA has said that they are ready to assess the feasibility of building a nuclear power plant in Albania if the Albanian and Italian governments reach a cooperation agreement, an Enel official said to the Italian press. “If an understanding is reached between the two governments we would evaluate such a project,” the official said.
He added however that Enel has to date had no contacts with Albania on the nuclear issue. “We were in Albania in December when we signed a memorandum of understanding over a coal project, but nothing was said about nuclear power,” the official said. In a newspaper interview on May 29, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said his country is ready to reach an agreement with Italy to build nuclear power plants in Albania to help meet power demand in Italy. Berisha said he has not yet spoken to the Italian government but added contacts have been made with an Italian group.
Italy’s Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti has previously said Italy should seek to build nuclear plants in neighbouring countries facing the Adriatic Sea such as Albania or Montenegro.