A nuclear-propelled containership designed by HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has received approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
Molten salt reactor propulsion
The design for a 15k TEU vessel uses a propulsion system comprising a molten salt reactor (MSR) for heat and a supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) system for power generation. ABS completed design reviews based on class requirements, which were published for floating nuclear power in October 2024. Following the AIP, HD KSOE will continue to work with ABS to further develop the vessel.
Developing nuclear marine technologies
Christopher J Wiernicki, chairman and CEO of ABS, said, “Advanced modern reactors are both a global decarbonization solution and a commercial shipping disruptor. They are a key transformational technology that forms a critical part of the calculus to get to net zero by 2050 and they change the commercial model, the economics of shipping, the operation of the vessels and their design, as KSOE has demonstrated. The new nuclear story is now being written and this collaboration with KSOE is an important step forward.”
Sangmin Park, senior vice president of HD KSOE, said, “Fourth-generation SMRs, currently in the demonstration phase, offer a groundbreaking improvement in safety compared to conventional reactors. When applied to large container ships, they could potentially have less risk than some of the other alternative fuel systems.”
In related news, the ABS has approved the preliminary design of a hydrogen-hybrid research vessel that will join the fleet at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography when completed. Click here to read the full story.