Nuclear

DNV whitepaper explores opportunities and challenges for nuclear-powered ships

DNV outlines opportunities, challenges, and pathways for integrating nuclear technology into commercial shipping in a whitepaper.

Published

7 months ago

January 23, 2026

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Classification society DNV on Wednesday (21 January) outlined opportunities, challenges, and pathways for integrating nuclear technology into commercial shipping in a whitepaper:

Nuclear propulsion, dormant in commercial shipping for decades, is gaining renewed interest as the industry seeks scalable, zero-emission solutions. Apart from being an energy source which produces no emissions, nuclear propulsion offers other advantages, such as stable, predictable energy costs, enhanced operational flexibility (including the economic feasibility of higher speeds), and reduced reliance on traditional bunkering infrastructure.

DNV’s white paper describes the state of play of nuclear maritime propulsion today, and emphasizes the need for technological innovation, regulatory clarity, and economic pragmatism for the industry to become viable in the future.

A short history of maritime nuclear propulsion

Nuclear propulsion in shipping first came to prominence during the so-called nuclear age of the 1950s and 1960s. With the land-based nuclear industry growing strongly, several military vessels were commissioned, mainly in the US and Russia. This was accompanied by some exploratory civilian projects, such as the Savannah, which entered into service in the US in 1962, and the German Otto Hahn and Japanese Mutsu, which followed soon after. All of these operated using pressurized water reactors (PWRs), which required extensive monitoring and active safety systems to manage transients.

However, most of these projects were not commercially viable and, apart from continued exploratory tests in Russia, no civilian commercial maritime nuclear projects have been commissioned in over 40 years.

In recent years, the growing need to decarbonize shipping, combined with the wide range of difficulties associated with this – such as limited supply of low-greenhouse gas fuels – has led to many in the industry re-evaluating nuclear propulsion as a potential problem solver.

Building nuclear reactors for maritime use

While a future civilian maritime nuclear industry can draw on lessons learned from the more established land-based industry, shipping creates its own demands and the white paper outlines reactor concepts being developed specifically for maritime use.

“All reactors should take into account factors unique to shipping, such as mobility, exposure to harsh sea conditions, and operational profile, while also bearing in mind key considerations like cost, space, reliability, power availability and, most importantly, safety,” says Ole Christen Reistad, Senior Principal Researcher and lead author of the white paper.

“Smaller, standardized reactors with passive safety and minimal crew needs may benefit merchant shipping, while low-pressure systems and Generation IV or heat-pipe reactors could provide safer, simpler alternatives to PWRs.”

As explained in the white paper, marine reactors must be compact and designed for infrequent refuelling, ideally aligned with other required maintenance activities such as dry-docking to minimize impacts on ship availability. Issues around surveyance at sea and safety can be mitigated through remote monitoring and advanced communication capabilities. Several projects are already underway in different countries, with differing approaches to fuel, coolant and safety.

The maritime nuclear fuel cycle in perspective

Going beyond reactors, DNV’s white paper also identifies the need for a dedicated, cost-effective maritime fuel cycle. This should encompass all stages, from ‘front end’ to ‘back end’, including key aspects such as fuel qualification and fabrication, spent fuel storage, and disposition.

“Any future commercial maritime nuclear fuel industry should be centred around a specific nuclear fuel cycle for maritime use, with recognised roles and responsibilities across the supply chain, from fuel production and reactor integration to loading, exchange, and disposal,” says Reistad.

Storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel will be fundamental to the functionality and credibility of the supply chain. This will also be crucial for advancing public acceptance of the maritime fuel cycle.

Note: The full whitepaper by DNV can be viewed here.

Photo credit: Venti Views on Unsplash
Published: 23 January, 2026

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Nuclear

Port of Corpus Christi ink agreement to explore nuclear maritime technologies

MARAD and port join forces to explore opportunities to advance maritime energy systems, including infrastructure capable of supporting emerging vessel propulsion concepts.

Published

23 hours ago

August 20, 2026

Admin

Port of Corpus Christi ink agreement to explore nuclear maritime technologies

Texas’ Port of Corpus Christi on Wednesday (19 August) signed an agreement with US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) to kick off a new partnership focused on small modular reactor (SMR) technology for maritime applications.

Through a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC), MARAD and the Port of Corpus Christi agreed to work together to explore opportunities to advance maritime energy systems, including through the potential integration of SMR technologies, resilient port microgrids, shoreside power architecture, infrastructure capable of supporting emerging vessel propulsion concepts, and related workforce development opportunities.

By testing the latest innovations in SMRs, the Department said it can help revitalise US shipbuilding and cut fuel costs.

“Small modular reactors have the potential to reshape America’s maritime sector, lower shipping costs, and bolster our supply chains,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.

“This agreement with the Port of Corpus Christi demonstrates that the leading energy port in the nation understands the significance of this technology,” said Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel.

“SMR integration has the potential to drive down costs and guarantee that our critical Gulf Coast maritime supply chains remain resilient against any contingency, from extreme weather to power grid disruptions, while training the next generation of high-skilled American mariners.”

This is the second agreement the Department has signed since Secretary Duffy launched the SMR initiative in May.

In June, the Trump Administration signed an agreement to establish the nation’s first testing area for nuclear-powered vessels with the Port of Long Beach.

Photo credit: US Department of Transportation
Published: 20 August, 2026

Nuclear

Deployable Energy and Hornbeck Offshore partner on microreactors for ships

Deployable Energy’s Unity Nuclear Battery is a 1 MWe, mass-manufactured, transportable microreactor engineered vessel integration, rather than have ships built around reactors.

Published

23 hours ago

August 20, 2026

Admin

Deployable Energy and Hornbeck Offshore partner on microreactors for ships

Deployable Energy on Monday (17 August) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hornbeck Offshore to transform five strategic maritime and offshore markets through the utilisation of Unity Nuclear Battery, a transportable microreactor technology.

Hornbeck Offshore has also made a strategic investment in Deployable Energy.

The collaboration will combine Deployable Energy’s Unity Nuclear Battery with Hornbeck Offshore’s vast marine operating fleet expertise to develop maritime nuclear applications in inland waterways, offshore vessels and platforms, national security logistics and autonomous vessels, power barges, and floating data centers.

Deployable Energy’s Unity Nuclear Battery is a 1 MWe, mass-manufactured, transportable microreactor engineered vessel integration, rather than have ships built around reactors. It is designed to provide resilient, emissions-free power with refuelling intervals greater than five years and to scale from individual units to large multi-unit deployments.

The companies will establish a joint working group focused on vessel integration, economics, licensing pathways, financing, and commercial structures with a strong focus on near-term US applications.

The programme will also enable Deployable Energy’s long-term opportunity for multi-gigawatt deployment over a 10-year horizon, with a target of achieving at least a 20% reduction in total cost of ownership versus conventional marine diesel or grid-power alternatives.

“We are proud to partner with one of the leaders in the US maritime sector and one of the largest Jones Act vessel owners to usher in a commercial maritime nuclear industry,” said Bobby Gallagher, CEO and Co-Founder of Deployable Energy.

“Todd Hornbeck and his founder-led operating experience coupled with his team’s proven ability to bring new technologies to market will enable us to move from demonstration to real-world deployment. Together, we’re forging a path to lower energy costs, greater endurance and entirely new maritime power applications.”

“Deployable Energy’s speed of execution, culture, and ability to understand requirements in the maritime industry are why we chose them to partner on five priority maritime markets that can utilize compact nuclear power to improve economics, endurance and energy resilience,” said Todd M. Hornbeck, Chairman, President and CEO of Hornbeck Offshore.

The MOU and strategic investment mark a key development for maritime nuclear applications through a phased pathway from feasibility and front-end engineering through detailed design, regulatory approvals, initial deployment, scaled fleet deployment and long-term operations.

Any deployment would remain subject to successful technical, commercial and regulatory development and execution of definitive agreements.

Photo credit: Deployable Energy
Published: 20 August, 2026

Nuclear

NEMO taskforce examines seafarer training needs for nuclear-powered merchant ships

Taskforce is exploring how existing Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers frameworks may evolve to support future nuclear-powered merchant ships.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 29, 2026

Admin

NEMO taskforce examines seafarer training needs for nuclear-powered merchant ships

The Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization (NEMO) on Tuesday (28 July) said its taskforce is exploring how existing Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) frameworks may evolve to support future nuclear-powered merchant ships.

The NEMO STCW Task Force, led by Mark Smith at NorthStandard, is currently engaging with maritime training institutions, reactor developers, ship operators, regulators, and industry experts to better understand:

What nuclear-related maritime training already exists
Where potential skills and competency gaps may emerge
How future training requirements may differ across reactor technologies
What role emergency preparedness and incident response training should play

“We know there are individuals and organisations around the world already thinking about these challenges and already undertaking important work in this area,” NEMO said on a social media post.

“Whether you work in maritime education, nuclear training, reactor development, regulation, classification, human factors, simulation, radiation protection, or crew competency development, we would like to hear from you.”

Smith will shortly be hosting a roundtable discussion to bring together expertise from across the sector and help shape the future conversation

NEMO is inviting organisations and individuals to participate in the discussion and help inform the future skills and competency framework for maritime nuclear applications.

Note: Registration to participate in the discussion can be found here.

Photo credit: Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization
Published: 29 July, 2026