Vard working on integration of nuclear reactors into ship designsVard working on integration of nuclear reactors into ship designs

Norwegian shipbuilder and designer Vard announced it has joined the Nuclear Propulsion of Merchant Ships (NuProShip) project, joining collaborators exploring the use of next generation nuclear reactors as a power source for ships.

Knutsen Tankers, DNV, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and prominent nuclear engineering and consultancy firm IDOM are working on the project, with IDOM leading the work on the nuclear island at the heart of the vessel.

Vard said its primary contribution to the NuProShip's work, which began in 2023, will focus on the integration of reactor systems into various vessel types, assessing the technical challenges the industry will need to overcome to enable the future commercial use of nuclear-powered ships.

The first of two project stages, NuProShip I, is a feasibility study on the use of three Generation IV nuclear reactor technologies in shipping: the lead-cooled fast reactor, Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) and high-temperature, helium gas cooled reactor (HTGR). Regulatory and safety issues, ship design, crewing requirements and radioactive waste handling are all within the project’s scope, which has NOK10m ($890,000) in funding from the Research Council of Norway.

NuProShip I was scheduled to transition to NuProShip II at the end of 2024, moving to a two-year refinement period of the chosen reactor technology with a view to developing a prototype solution. NuProShip II will see insurance companies join the consortium to assess the critical commercial and regulatory considerations around insuring mobile nuclear power plants. NuProShip III will test the refined design.

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Nuclear power is among the nascent zero emissions technologies under development for use in the maritime industry. The vision is for small modular reactors to be fitted to vessels, generating electricity to power electric motors for propulsion with zero GHG emissions onboard. A range of small modular reactor designs are under development for use on land, with further development focused on marinisation.