Annual Report 2010 - Enel.com

and the fight against pollution and climate change.
Moreover, economic reasons relating to the volatility in
the cost of traditional fossil fuels linked to oil prices, such
as gas, as well as political instability in the main oil and
natural-gas producing countries, suggest that Europe
needs to find more balanced and sustainable energy mix.
Enel’s long-term vision for nuclear power was underscored
in 2010 with the approval by the Board of Directors of its
Nuclear Policy, which was published on the Company’s
website: through its investments in nuclear technologies,
Enel publicly commits itself as shareholder to ensure that
its nuclear facilities are operated with overriding priority
to nuclear safety, the protection of nuclear workers, the
general public and the environment from risk of harm,
encouraging excellence in all plant activities and to go
beyond compliance with applicable laws and regulations
and adopting the principles of continuous improvement
and risk management. Enel will ensure that nuclear plants
in which it is a minority shareholder also adopt nuclear
safety policies and will withdraw from such investments
should they fail to do so.
The following is the text of the Enel Group’s Nuclear Policy:
“Through its investments in nuclear technologies, Enel
publicly commits itself as shareholder to ensure that its
nuclear facilities adopt a clear nuclear safety policy and
are operated with overriding priority to nuclear safety, the
protection of nuclear workers, the general public and the
environment from risk of harm. The policy in respect of nuclear
safety is to encourage excellence in all plant activities
and to go beyond compliance with applicable laws and
regulations and to adopt management approaches embodying
the principles of continuous improvement and
risk management. Enel will ensure to the full extent of its
powers as a shareholder that even nuclear plants where
Enel has a minority interest have adopted and published
suitable policies for nuclear safety, radioactive waste management,
the physical security of nuclear assets, and the
protection of workers, the population and the environment.
Enel commits to provide sufficient resources to implement
the safety policy. Enel also commits to a cooperation
policy on safety in the nuclear industry worldwide”.
Enel is involved in activities related to nuclear power generation
in Slovakia, Spain and in France with the construction
of the third generation facility at Flamanville. In those
countries, it continues to operate nuclear plants in line
with the best international practices in the industry. The
processes set out in the guidelines of the INPO (Institute
134 Enel Annual Report 2010 Report on operations
of Nuclear Power Operations), WANO (World Association
of Nuclear Operators), EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute)
and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), are
the common foundation used by all the Enel Group companies
involved in nuclear power.
The year 2010 was full of important results for the project
to complete units 3 and 4 of the Mochovce plant (Slovakia).
Earlier in the year, the final major contracts were
signed, essentially completing contracting process. As for
the construction of the Flamanville 3 plant (France), significant
progress was made on the civil works in 2010.
As for the Italian nuclear project, in 2010 significant progress
was made, mainly on two fronts, which are essential to give a
sound and sustainable basis for new nuclear investment: the
regulatory framework and qualification of suppliers.
Italian industry has demonstrated excellence in the design,
manufacture and installation of nuclear systems and
components. Enel has launched a market survey in Italy
with the aim of mapping the know-how and expertise in
nuclear matters found in Italy.
Enel believes, in fact, in a country system that is strong
and competitive based on the consolidation, recovery and
development of skills for the nuclear industry. In order to
maximize the opportunity of involving the domestic industry
in the Italian nuclear project, Enel, as part of Confindustria,
has proposed a process of developing skills that
will begin in 2011 with the launch of the qualification of
companies for specific segments of the nuclear industry.
As part of the international nuclear community, Enel plays
an active role and is a member of both the WANO-Moscow
Centre and, as a dual representative, in the WANO-Paris
Centre through Endesa-ANAV and Enel SpA. Enel is actively
sponsoring seminars and conferences on nuclear energy
and radiation protection (for example, International Occupational
Health Association, Rome, September 2010) and
various national and European educational programs on
nuclear energy (particularly in Spain and Slovakia).
Water scarcity
Enel is aware that the efficient management of water resources
is of central importance for maintaining biodiversity
and for the development and welfare of society. In
order to avoid potential water stress due to high consumption
compared to the natural flows available locally, Enel
has adopted a strategy based on a progressive approach: