A pioneering nuclear propelled containership designed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has received approval in principle (AiP) from ABS.
The ground-breaking design for a 15000 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. ABS published what it believes to be the industry’s first comprehensive requirements for floating nuclear power in October 2024.
ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J Wiernicki said: “Advanced modern reactors are both a global decarbonisation 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.”
HD KSOE SVP Sangmin Park added: “Fourth-generation SMRs, currently in the demonstration phase, offer a ground-breaking 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.”
Following the AIP, HD KSOE will continue to work with ABS to further develop the vessel. ABS says it is leading the industry in exploring advanced nuclear reactor technologies for offshore and maritime applications and is working with the US Department of Energy to research barriers to the adoption of advanced nuclear propulsion on commercial vessels.
Image: Sangmin Park, HD KSOE, with Patrick Ryan, ABS SVP and CTO (credit: ABS)
