Lloyd’s Register (LR) has released the Fuel for Thought: Nuclear report which finds that nuclear power could create emission-free shipping, while extending the life cycle of vessels and removing the uncertainty of fuel and refueling infrastructure development. However, it also points out that regulation and safety considerations must be addressed for its widespread commercial adoption.
Commercial maritime nuclear power
The report assessed the opportunity presented by nuclear for commercial maritime given its proven track record in naval applications, with the study pointing to the role of new small modular reactors (SMRs) in bringing to market suitable low-maintenance reactors to meet the propulsion and energy requirements of commercial ships.
According to the report, the commercial relationships between shipowners and energy producers will be altered as power is likely to be leased from reactor owners, separating the shipowner from the complexities of licensing and operating nuclear technology. SMRs “represent a leap forward in reactor design, emphasizing safety, efficiency, and modularity for streamlined production’, Lloyd’s Register said. As SMR technology matures and regulatory clarity increases, ship designs optimized for nuclear propulsion will emerge.
Safety protocols and community readiness
The report outlines the importance of adopting stringent safety protocols to prioritize the protection of seafarers and the environment. It suggests that for novel designs and nuclear technology in the short-term, LR’s Risk Based Certification (RBC) could provide an approach for first movers to certify their projects by demonstrating an equivalent level of safety to that achieved with conventional oil-fuelled systems.
According to Fuel for Thought: Nuclear, technology readiness for nuclear is improving, as per the most recent update of the LR Maritime Decarbonisation Hub’s Zero Carbon Fuel Monitor, with pressurized water reactors (PWR), microreactors and molten salt reactors (MSR) emerging as some of the most promising technologies for maritime applications. However, community readiness levels (CRL), which are affected by the public’s perception of nuclear power and investment readiness levels (IRL) ,were found to remain low due to the uncertainties around the wider uptake of nuclear technology in commercial shipping. 
Mark Tipping, power to x director at LR said, “Fuel for Thought: Nuclear represents one of the first easily accessible overviews on the use of nuclear power in shipping, combining information from a wide range of sources into one report tailored for commercial shipping and the wider maritime value chain. While its use in commercial shipping has been limited, by overcoming negative perceptions and a lack of investment levels, nuclear propulsion could provide immense value for the maritime sector in its decarbonization journey, allowing for emission-free vessels with longer life cycles which require minimal refueling infrastructure, or in best case scenarios limit the need entirely.”
In related news, Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted an approval in principle (AiP) to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for its ammonia fuel supply system, which will be used on ammonia new constructions. Click here to read the full story.