History

SIET S.p.A. was founded in 1983 by ENEA (Agenzia Nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile - National agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) and by CISE (Centro Informazioni Studi Esperienze - Centre for Information, Study and Experience - owned by ENEL) with the primary purpose of carrying out safety tests on components and systems intended for nuclear power plants. The company was given experimental structures of very high technological content, able to simulate the thermohydraulic loops of both existing nuclear power stations and new generation plants, full scale or at reduced scale.

Right from its foundation, the company has been based in the area of the Piacenza power station, now owned by A2A, on the banks of the River Po. The building used by the company is a magnificent example of industrial architecture of the 1920s, designed by the famous architect Piero Portaluppi. The unusual location of SIET, inside an operating power station, has allowed the company to exploit for experimental purposes the fluids used in the production cycle, especially the superheated steam and the demineralised water at a high flow rate. This is still today a unique prerogative at an international level.

With this potential available and thanks to a highly qualified and skilled team, the late Romano Ravetta, first Director of SIET, began what was to become one of the most fascinating experiences in the recent history of energy production in this country. On account of the services provided, based on the adoption of a Quality System applied in compliance with the ISO 9001 and NQA-1 standards, SIET has won over the years important recognitions, both from its own customers, ENEA, ENEL, Ansaldo, General Electric, Westinghouse, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Doosan, and from NRC, the nuclear power plant licensing Body in the United States.