Giovanni Sale

Graduating in Chemical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1988, he has over 30 years of experience in the Technology, Engineering, and Construction Business within the Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Energy, and Electrochemical sectors. He began his career in the Electrochemical Industries at De Nora, before joining Tecnimont, the integrated EPC solution company of the MAIRE group, as a Proposal Manager in 1996. His career advanced to the role of Project Director, managing projects in North Africa, Middle East, North and South America, and later as the Senior Vice President of Operations, overseeing the business lines of Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Fertilizers, and Power Plants from 2008 to 2012. Subsequently he was appointed as SVP for Business Development & Commercial of Tecnimont Group. In 2023 he assumed the roles as Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Strategy at MAIRE and Senior Vice President of Energy Transition Strategy at NEXTCHEM to drive the Maire Group in the new industrial paradigm of Energy Transition and Material Transformation.

Session Overview

Thursday, 6 November

11:00

Decarbonisation ICC Hall B 11:00 - 11:40

Maximising nuclear's potential in today's energy industry

Nuclear energy is regaining global relevance as countries seek pragmatic, scalable, low-carbon solutions to deliver the energy the world needs in the most cost- and carbon-efficient way possible. With renewed investment in advanced fission, small modular reactors (SMRs), and early-stage fusion, nuclear is positioning itself as a dependable complement to renewables and a key enabler of energy security. SMRs are gaining momentum for their ability to deliver consistent baseload power and serve industrial energy needs. Fusion is also attracting significant funding from both public and private sources, fuelling long-term optimism despite commercial deployment being at least a decade away. Despite these milestones, advanced nuclear faces persistent challenges - from licensing complexity and financing hurdles to supply chain constraints and the need for reliable offtake agreements. As electricity demand continues to rise - driven by the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) across all sectors and the electrification of heavy industry - nuclear technologies offer a resilient pathway to low-emission energy. Realising their full potential will require collaboration across regulators, energy providers, and industry leaders to accelerate market readiness and integration into a transforming energy system.

Attendee Insights:

Hear how operators, technology developers, and policymakers are navigating the resurgence of nuclear, exploring the role of SMRs and fusion in securing low-emission energy while addressing the regulatory, financial, and infrastructure barriers to scale.