Generation IV

Ansaldo Nucleare is committed to the future of fission nuclear power as the carbon-free source that, together with renewables, will drive the transition towards sustainable, reliable and affordable electricity.
Since the 2000s, Ansaldo Nucleare has been leading in Europe in the development of technological solutions for fast reactors cooled with heavy liquid metals – which are estimated to reach commercial maturity in 2035-2040. 
Ansaldo Nucleare leads ALFRED, a project by the European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative (ESNII), aimed at developing Generation IV Lead-cooled Fast Neutron Reactor demonstrator as part of the EU's Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. 
Ansaldo Nucleare brought together ENEA, RATEN-ICN and other European organizations within the FALCON (Fostering ALfred CONstruction) Consortium, established in Bucharest in 2013. The objective of FALCON is to build a small-scale European Technology Demonstrator Reactor (ETDR) fully representative of an industrial-size unit. Specific design solutions will allow the collection of operational experience on LFR technology. 
FALCON already contributed to securing a dedicated loan for the realization of relevant experimental facilities in Romania – in addition to those under construction in the UK at the Ansaldo Nuclear Ltd Wolverhampton site and those historically present in Italy at ENEA Brasimone.