"The bill aims to comprehensively address the production of energy from sustainable nuclear and fusion sources, incorporating it into the Italian energy mix to achieve energy independence and decarbonisation goals," the Council of Ministers said.

Nuclitalia will be in charge of assessing the most innovative and mature designs of new sustainable nuclear power, with an initial focus on water-cooled small modular reactors (SMRs).

Nuclear energy is a controversial issue in Italy where nuclear-fired power plants were banned after Italians voted in a 2011 referendum against a law for a national nuclear programme.

Out of the total, €9bn will go to gas infrastructure, including €6.3bn in gas transportation (including the upgrade of the 430 km Adriatic Line onshore pipeline), €1.4bn in LNG infrastructure (purchase of of two new FSRU-based LNG terminals and development of related infrastructure), and €1.3bn in the expansion of gas storage capacity.

Gazprom PJSC said it has found a solution with Italian buyers to overcome the regulatory changes in Austria at the end of September that were preventing transit flows,

The halt in deliveries to Italy is the latest disruption to Russian gas flows to Europe after supplies were already halted via the Yamal-Europe and Nord Stream pipelines earlier this year and deliveries via Ukraine sharply curtailed.

Algeria will gradually provide increasing volumes of gas to Italy from 2022, up to 9 bcm/year in 2023-24.

In collaboration with ENEA, Newcleo will build an electrical prototype of the lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) system, which will not use radioactive materials or nuclear fuel, to allow the study of thermo-dynamic, mechanical and functional performances.

"With regards to gas, Russia is respecting its contractual obligations and is ready to provide additional quantities if they are required,"

In January 2021, Azerbaijan started commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, which entered operations in November 2020.