Partnership to develop nuclear power for shipping
Australian ship design group Seatransport and US-based Deployable Energy are collaborating with UK-based classification society and professional advisory service Lloyd's Register to develop nuclear power generation for different applications, including strategic response vessels in remote areas.
The project - led by Lloyd's Register - envisages using micro modular reactor (MMR) technology, with two to five MMRs of 1 MWe capacity each powering a 73-metre amphibious vessel, designed for emergency response and disaster relief duties in remote areas. This will enable the vessel to operate for 8-10 years without refuelling, and it can feed power into the shore grid of affected areas and whenever docked at port.
The concept was presented at Lloyd's Register's recent Australia Advisory Committee Meeting with Remko Hottentot, Lloyd's Register Commercial Manager - Australasia, signing the agreement with the Australian parties.
"As nuclear technology progresses towards maritime applications, LR is uniquely positioned to help develop these initiatives," said Claudene Sharp-Patel, Lloyd's Register's Global Technical Director. "We bring our extensive history in maritime and nuclear safety, providing a strong foundation for safe, insurable, and scalable nuclear-powered shipping. Our extensive experience with small modular reactors in the defence sector further demonstrates our commitment to safety and innovation."
Deployable Energy is developing the 1 MW Unity Nuclear Battery that fits in a 20-foot shipping container, which it claims beats diesel on price and performance. It is a transportable, factory-built, plug-and-play power system. The company's target is to have 100,000 nuclear batteries deployed by 2040 with a delivered cost of 5c/kWh."
In July last year, Lloyd's Register released a report that concluded nuclear power could transform the maritime industry with emissions-free shipping, whilst extending the life cycle of vessels and removing the uncertainty of fuel and refuelling infrastructure development. However, it said regulation and safety considerations must be addressed for its widespread commercial adoption.
The following month, a joint development project agreement was signed between Lloyd's Register, Core Power and AP Moller - Maersk to conduct a regulatory assessment study to determine the safety and regulatory considerations for a potential nuclear-propelled containership to undertake cargo operations at a port in Europe.
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