A pioneering nuclear propelled containership designed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has received approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
The groundbreaking design for a 15,000 TEU vessel (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units: the standard unit for measuring the size of cargo containers) uses a propulsion system comprised of a molten salt reactor (MSR) for heat and a supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) system for power generation.
Essentially, this is a nuclear reactor that uses molten salt to heat supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2), which then drives a turbine to generate electricity.
The high operating temperature of molten salt reactors allows for efficient heat transfer and they are considered inherently safe due to their liquid fuel which can be drained in case of an emergency.
ABS is currently working with the U.S. Department of Energy to research barriers to the adoption of advanced nuclear propulsion on commercial vessels.
Their Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki 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 have demonstrated. The new nuclear story is now being written and this collaboration with KSOE is an important step forward.’
Only last week, speaking at the Core Power New Nuclear for Maritime Houston Summit, Wiernicki claimed that ‘new nuclear technology is a global decarbonisation solution and a commercial shipping disruptor.
‘Not only does it offer zero carbon operations but higher power with faster transit speeds, increased cargo storage due to the elimination of fuel storage and it unlocks the potential for reverse cold ironing where the vessel powers the port. Finally, critically, it eliminates the need to bunker fuel potentially over the entire lifespan of the asset.
‘There is no net zero by 2050 without nuclear.’
Senior Vice President Sangmin Park of HD KSOE added: ‘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.’
Photo: Sangmin Park, Senior Vice President, HD KSOE, with Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer