Nuclear power in commercial shipping gains momentumNuclear power in commercial shipping gains momentum

Nuclear power is seen both as a source of energy itself for ships and as a power provider for zero-carbon fuel production.  

Webinar moderator David Appleyard, Editor of Nuclear Engineering International, introduced LR’s Power-to-X Director, Mark Tipping, who set the scene. Nuclear power, he said, has a wide range of potential applications in shipping, both as a direct source of energy on board ships, but also as a source of offshore floating power for energy-intensive industries including the production of new marine fuels of the future and the decarbonisation of conventional fuels.

More than 700 nuclear reactors have already been deployed in the marine environment, he said, and contrary to popular belief, nuclear-powered assets are now under development in both short- and longer-term timeframes.

He highlighted the creation of the Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization (NEMO) earlier this year and its rapidly growing membership. And emphasised the new generation of nuclear reactors which are simpler, smaller, safer, and can be tailored to meet the requirements of ships and other floating assets.

Kirsty Gogan, Managing Partner of LucidCatalyst, a clean energy consultancy, pointed to the many benefits of nuclear energy in a maritime context. It would enable substantial time savings: refuelling, if required at all, would be infrequent. More energy would enable larger assets to sail faster, raising supply chain efficiency and creating a very attractive business case.

Related:ABS and KRISO kick off nuclear-powered vessel co-operation

She emphasised, however, that ‘generation 4 reactors’ would be just one part of a completely new ecosystem, initially with highly trained crews but ultimately designed to operate with minimal human intervention. Assets and their reactors, she said, would be designed as ‘walk-away safe’ in the event of a malfunction.

Sytske de Groot, Allseas Department Head Naval Architecture, revealed that the company which operates some of the largest marine assets in the world, is actively considering nuclear power. She explained that reactors will be designed so that no fissile material can escape in the event of an accident – they will not melt or explode under extreme heat. And there will be a requirement that in the event of an incident, nothing will be left that could cause a risk in the future.

De Groot said that she can envisage a nuclear power barge built in a shipyard by around 2030. This could be deployed to power a city, an industrial plant, or provide the energy necessary to develop zero-carbon fuels for shipping, she said. Meanwhile, depending on the level of demand, nuclear-powered commercial ships could be coming off the blocks between 2030 and 2035. The early 2030s, she said, is a feasible target.

Related:LR report predicts new era of zero-emission nuclear-powered ships

The participants agreed, however, that there is uncertainty around the timeline because regulations are now the bottleneck. LR’s Tipping emphasised again the importance of NEMO and also referred to the International Energy Agency’s move to set up a new body for the safe and secure deployment of peaceful civil nuclear applications at sea. The Atomic Technology Licensed for Applications at Sea, ATLAS, will commence operations in 2025.     

The LR webinar follows the publication of the classification society’s Fuel for Thought: Nuclear Report in July.