A new international membership organisation - the Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization - has been launched to bring together stakeholders involved in all aspects of floating nuclear power and nuclear mobility.

Dutch nuclear energy development and consultancy company ULC-Energy BV has completed a study - commissioned by global mining company BHP - to investigate the potential use of civil nuclear technologies to power commercial maritime vessels.

South Korea's HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering plans to develop a small modular reactor for use in shipping in cooperation with the UK's Core Power and the USA's Southern Company and TerraPower.

A new record for cargo transported via Russia's Northern Sea Route was set in 2023 with existing nuclear icebreakers providing more than 730 vessel support services. Work continues to progress on two more nuclear-powered icebreakers.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Lloyd's Register, Zodiac Maritime, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Kepco Engineering & Construction for the development of nuclear-propelled ship designs, including bulk carriers and container ships.

Nuclear will be needed to help decarbonise the shipping industry - whether by having nuclear-powered ships or using nuclear to produce alternative fuels - a conference organised by Core Power has heard. However, speakers noted that regulatory issues must be resolved before this can happen.

The nuclear industry has the solutions to assist end-users - from the shipping industry to data centres - in reducing their carbon emissions and meeting their decarbonisation goals, panellists at World Nuclear Symposium 2023 said.

The USA's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has finalised an agreement with Lockheed Martin to begin work on the fabrication and design of an experimental nuclear thermal rocket and its engine. BWX Technologies, one of Lockheed Martin's partners in the effort, will develop the nuclear reactor and fabricate the HALEU fuel.

A study commissioned by the American Bureau of Shipping has explored the potential of advanced nuclear reactor technology for commercial marine propulsion, whilst a study led by UK-based innovative reactor developer Newcleo will consider the feasibility of nuclear applications to the shipping industry, including the firm's small modular lead-cooled fast reactor technology.

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission is conducting two feasibility studies on nuclear propulsion for the European Space Agency, which could pave the way for missions to Mars and beyond.

UK clean space propulsion systems and services company Pulsar Fusion has formed a partnership with USA-based Princeton Satellite Systems to use artificial intelligence to design a hyper-fast space rocket capable of reaching Mars in only 30 days.

Russia's plans to rapidly expand the Northern Sea Route will ultimately need up to 100 Arctic-class vessels and 15 floating power units, and a "truly historic decision" had been taken "to launch year-round navigation in the eastern part of the Northern Sea Route early next year", according to Rosatom's director general.