Nuclear powered ships?

[Tugboater203]

China’s Nuclear-Powered Containership: A Fluke Or The Future Of Shipping?

I’m not up to speed on molten salt reactors, anyone able to enlighten me?

[ombugge]

Canadian project to develop marine-based nuclear reactors moves ahead -...

Many nuclear shipping projects are underway across the world. Floating nuclear power plant projects are underway in the US, China, Denmark, Russia, Italy and South Korea.
A recent survey carried by the International Chamber of Shipping showed 9% of its C-suite members expect nuclear-powered ships within a decade.

[Lew]

Way to go.
Australia should do it too.

[ombugge]

South Korea’s largest shipbuilder makes nuclear move - Splash247

No it is NOT the same technology as used on the Savannah, or even in modern submarines:

The reactor, which will be jointly developed by KSOE and other partners including TerraPower and CORE POWER, centres around TerraPower’s molten chloride fast reactor (MCFR) design.

[ombugge]

If we can decarbonise shipping, we can decarbonise the world

Liner bosses discuss potential for nuclear - Splash247

“We should not rule anything out,” Habben Jensen said of nuclear propulsion, telling reporters it was still “early days” for the technology. “Any role would be from the second half of next decade,” the Hapag-Lloyd boss suggested.

Habben Jensen’s counterpart at ONE, Nixon, said he reckoned that green hydrogen would ultimately work out as shipping’s key fuel. For its creation, vast amounts of electricity would be required, something that nuclear power could help achieve, he said.

[ombugge]

Leverage America’s advanced nuclear comparative advantage

• American policy should treat advanced nuclear maritime applications like the Space Race. The Nation’s laws and regulations should pour policy entrepreneurship and resources into gaining first mover status as the global leader in maritime nuclear. America is already leading the world in the development of small modular reactors (SMR). This is the future of maritime propulsion. Transportable, floating power generation will be a key to energy security and climate resiliency, as well as a host of other high value activities that can take place safely across the 71% of the earth’s surface encompassed by the ocean. Fast, clean, safe, commercial nuclear propulsion, will unlock entirely new business models, redesign global trade patterns, and enable high speed direct to market/ship eVTOL tradelanes, additive manufacturing, large scale vertical farming, desalination, carbon capture, ocean uranium harvesting, and many dual-use applications — all at sea, backed by well designed, marinized SMR systems. American policymakers must prioritize streamlining licensing, regulatory, and financing pathways to unleash this potential at the pace of relevance.

Source: America’s maritime policies need a reboot

[spowiednick]

BHP considers nuclear-powered cargo ships : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News (world-nuclear-news.org)

[ombugge]

Seoul studies nuclear potential for ships - Splash247

South Korean companies are showing an interest in nuclear propulsion. The country’s largest shipbuilder is a founding member of the recently founded Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization (NEMO), which aims to assist nuclear and maritime regulators in the development of appropriate standards and rules for the deployment, operation and decommissioning of floating nuclear power.

[ombugge]

Maersk comes onboard nuclear propulsion project - Splash247

Nick Brown, CEO of Lloyd’s Register, said: “The initiation of this joint study marks the beginning of an exciting journey towards unlocking the potential of nuclear power in the maritime industry, paving the way for emissions-free operations, more agile service networks and greater efficiency through the supply chain.”

Ole Graa Jakobsen, Maersk’s head of fleet technology, conceded the challenges related to safety, waste management, and regulatory acceptance across regions have outweighed the benefits of nuclear technology to date.

Mikal Bøe, arguably the world’s most high-profile proponent of nuclear as shipping’s green bullet, in his role as CEO of CORE POWER, told Splash earlier this year: “There is simply no net zero without nuclear. A 2035-built, nuclear-powered containership will be faster, carrying more cargo, travelling millions of miles on the same fuel load, all without emissions of any kind.”

“New-nuclear powered vessels can herald an end to slow steaming,” said Dr Rory Megginson, head of analytics at CORE POWER. “The trend has been for larger ships travelling at slower speeds ever since 2008, leading to an inflexible service that still suffers from high emissions.”

On the transatlantic, according to CORE POWER models, transit times could be reduced from 10.2 days to 6.5 days, thereby boosting annual round trips from 28 to 41.

Home | CORE POWER

Mikal Bøe - Maritime Transport Efficiency Conference

[yacht_sailor]

The one question that will determine the fate of this idea:
Will these ships be insurable?

[ombugge]

Why not?? The reactors to be used in these ships will be small compact units of a VERY different type from what was used in the 1960s attempt at building nuclear powered merchant ships:

The Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR)

The unique combination of performance, safety, and economic benefits has been enabled by the decision to unite the best aspects of homogeneous reactors, fast reactors, and MSRs to provide the MCFR with a simple design that offers unparalleled advantages compared to conventional light water reactors (LWRs) as well as other advanced reactor concepts.
Ship propulsion | CORE POWER.

The conversion of power from the reactor to the propulsion system will also be VERY different from that on the Savanah or San Diego:

Ship propulsion | CORE POWER

More of a question will be the public reaction when such a ship calls at a port near them.
What is likely to be the reaction when a ship like this is due to steam up Chesapeake Bay, bound for the Gates terminal in Baltimore?

Let’s assume that it is a foreign flag vessel, manned by a small mixed international crew and, to make it worse, built in China.

Luckily this is not likely to happen for at least another decade, or more.
Maybe the public will be more accepting of new technology by that time.