Della Gala, Valentina;
(2012)
The Nuclear Power Plant in Garigliano. A History of a State Business (1957-1964).
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Current research has shown that the way that nuclear technology was developed in Italy was marked by two specific trends. First, the adoption of nuclear technology took place in Italy before it was used by other European countries, and second, there was a whole range of initiatives in this sector. In this context this PhD looks in detail at the US technology available at the time and then analyses how and in which specific forms Italy set up a national nuclear programme, before moving on to a discussion of the results of the Italian programme. By concentrating on Italy’s Società elettronucleare nazionale (SENN) (National Nuclear Electricity Company) I have been able to analyse these wider questions. The first chapter looks at the relationship between Italy and the World Bank using the archives of the Banca d’Italia (the Italian national bank), the World Bank archives, and secondary literature. It looks at the context in which a nuclear power plant was built in the Italian South, on the Garigliano river; this investment is also compared with other investments by the World Bank in Italy. The second chapter looks at the forms of nuclear technology available at the time and the characteristics of the US ‘Atoms for Peace’ programme. The aim of this chapter is to draw out the importance of propaganda in promoting technology which was still linked to its possible military use. Chapter 3 looks at the situation in Italy at the time of the building of the nuclear power plant, the research applied at the time, and other public and private investments in Italy in nuclear power. This analysis is based on archival material, interviews with key figures from the time, newspaper articles, secondary literature, and specialised periodicals. Chapter 4 looks at the negotiations between the United States Atomic Energy Commission and the Italian national bank over the creation of a nuclear power station in Garigliano. This research is based on the archives of the World Bank and Italy’s national bank, and private archives. Chapter 5 looks at the loans which were used to build the plant, and at the beginning of its construction. Chapter 6 takes the story on to the construction, activity, and closure of the plant. Finally, Chapter 7 shows how nuclear energy was represented in the Italian newspapers.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | The Nuclear Power Plant in Garigliano. A History of a State Business (1957-1964) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | Italian |
| UCL classification: | |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1355103 |
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