Nuclear: a strategic industry serving Europe

20 – 21 June 2023 – Lyon, France

Roberto Adinolfi – Chairman, Ansaldo Nucleare

Born on 1952, he got his University Degree in Nuclear Engineering cum laude at Politecnico of Milan in 1976.

He joined the ANSALDO group immediately after his degree and was involved in the design of Nuclear Power plants in Italy and abroad, with increasing responsibilities in the fields of fluid systems design, plant control and system integration. Since 1987, he was in charge of Advanced Reactors design and development, establishing relations with the major nuclear vendors to implement international programs on innovative solutions for NPPs of the third generation.

Between 1996 and 1999, he was acting in the sector of conventional power plants, in various roles ranging from responsible for Operations in Italy to Director of engineering, erection and commissioning.

Since 2000, he was back in the nuclear business, as Director of ANSALDO Energia Nuclear Division. Under his leadership, ANSALDO signed the contract for the Completion of the second CANDU unit in Cernavoda, Romania, which was put into operation on October 2007.

The Nuclear Division was established as a separate Company in November 2005. Since then, Mr Adinolfi has been acting as Chief Operating Officer and, from April 2007 up to May 2019, as Chief Executive Officer. Under his guidance, Ansaldo Nucleare has engaged in significant projects in various countries related to NPP’s Safety Upgrades and Plant Life Extension.  Furthermore, the Company has largely expanded its longstanding presence in Fusion projects, winning significant contracts at ITER, like the Vacuum Vessel Sectors manufacturing, the Tokamak Assembly Contract, and the Divertor Inner Vertical Target prototype testing.

He is currently chairing the European Sustainable Energy Industrial Initiative (ESNII), one of the 3 pillars of the European Technology Platform SNETP, dealing with the development of advanced reactors in Europe. He also serves on the  Senior Industrial Advisory Panel of Generation IV International Forum (GIF).

Furthermore, he is a member of the Steering Committee of the EU SMR Prepartnership Initiative, acting as coordinator of the working group on Supply Chain Adaptation.

In November 2007, he was appointed Doctor honoris causa by the University of Pitesti, Romania.