Paris (Platts)--9Apr2009

None of Italy's nuclear sites are in the area of significant impact of
the earthquake that devastated part of the Abruzzi region in central Italy on
April 6, according to the French Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear
Safety. IRSN said in an April 8 information brief that the closest nuclear
installations to the quake were those at ENEA's research center at Casaccia,
including an operating research reactor. Casaccia is northwest of Rome, about
100 km (about 62 miles) from the epicenter of the quake. However, IRSN said
that the low intensities measured near Casaccia suggested there would be no
impact from the quake. The decommissioned power reactors at Garigliano and
Latina, southeast of Rome, were also in areas unaffected by the tremor,
according to a map published by IRSN (www.irsn.org). Italy does not have any
operating power reactors. The earthquake near L'Aquila, about 90 kilometers
northeast of Rome, measured between 5.8 and 6.3 magnitude on the Richter
scale, but IRSN said its impact was greater because the epicenter was close to
the surface. Rome itself felt tremors above a magnitude of 4. Queried about
the seismic risk April 9, Enel CEO Fulvio Conti said nuclear plants in Japan
resist earthquakes of Richter magnitude 8, according to wire reports. He
confirmed Enel's intent to begin building the first of four EPR reactors with
Electricite de France in 2011. A committee appointed by the government to
advise on the choice of reactor technology and sites has not yet concluded its
work.