Energy: ENEA–Prometheus agreement on research and development of new nuclear technologies

Energy: ENEA-Prometheus agreement on research and development of new nuclear technologies

ENEA and Prometheus, a start-up active in the field of innovative energy technologies, have signed a scientific collaboration agreement to explore new frontiers in sustainable energy based on low-energy nuclear reactions, or LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reactions), which occur at much lower temperatures and pressures than conventional thermonuclear fusion.

The five-year agreement provides for joint activities involving the development of theoretical models for interpreting LENR, the characterization of advanced materials subjected to extreme physicochemical conditions, the development of techniques for detecting low-intensity nuclear radiation, with particular attention to neutrons, as well as the validation of measurements and computational models.

ENEA and Prometheus will also be able to participate jointly in national and international research calls, thereby strengthening a collaboration aimed at integrating Prometheus's technological expertise with the infrastructure and scientific know-how of ENEA's Nuclear Department.

"This agreement demonstrates ENEA's commitment to maintaining a focus on all areas of nuclear research, including the most experimental ones," said Alessandro Dodaro, Director of ENEA's Nuclear Department. "Low-energy nuclear technologies require strong scientific approaches and reliable measurement instruments, and working together with Prometheus will allow us to apply our expertise rigorously, helping to shed light on phenomena that are still poorly understood but may potentially be relevant to a zero-emission energy future."

"It is no longer possible to deny the evidence provided by experimental results demonstrating power generation and nuclear transmutations that are not predicted by established scientific theories, and it would be a serious mistake not to continue investigating these results, both through modeling and through the study of the theory underlying the physical phenomena responsible for them," said Fabio Pistella, scientific lead for the work program appointed by Prometheus. "In the meantime, Prometheus is continuing to pursue its goal of bringing devices capable of producing heat more efficiently than conventional equipment to market, hopefully within three years," added Fabrizio Petrucci, Chairman of Prometheus. "Our work with ENEA may also contribute to achieving this result", he concluded.