Edison seeks part in Italy's nuclear renaissance

21 October 2009

[Bloomberg, 20 October] Edison, Italy's second largest power producer, wants to have up to a 20% stake in the country's nuclear power programme, according to the company's CEO Umberto Quadrino. He said that Edison is in talks with Enel and Electricité de France (EdF) about taking a stake in their Italian joint venture. "We want to invest in the Italian nuclear program," Quadrino said in an interview. He added that Edison's stake should be in line with its current share of the Italian electricity market. "We're talking with EdF and Enel to be ready to start investments in five years," he said. Edison's shareholder structure should remain the same, Quadrino said, with long-term investors supporting the company. A2A and EdF jointly control Edison through a shareholder agreement that is due to expire in September 2011. Italy's industry minister Claudio Scajola said that Edison's main investors are discussing the future structure of the company, adding that the Italian government will not interfere.