Nuclear energy company Ampera recently said it is adding the maritime sector as a primary segment in its growth portfolio, joining data centers and defense applications.
“Our game-changing technology strongly aligns with the business demands for commercial shipping and defense vessels,” said Brian Matthews, CEO and Founder of Ampera.
“Having a power generation unit onboard that can provide consistent, clean and safe energy, while drastically shrinking the engine room footprint and significantly reducing vessel weight is a strong value proposition.”
Ampera is developing a compact, sealed nuclear energy system whose inherent safety characteristics make it well suited for commercial maritime propulsion. The system emphasizes exceptional safety through a highly compact architecture and a sealed, ultra-long-life core that operates for decades without refuelling. Its design aligns with established naval safety principles, eliminates fuel handling, does not use any water, minimises operational complexity and eliminates proliferation risk.
The global shipping market analysis indicates there are more than 10,000 commercial ships in operation today that could benefit from changing out their power systems to an Ampera solution. Additionally, defense vessels could utilise the thorium-fuelled system to meet their power and discharge demands, by leveraging the compact, emission-free, autonomous energy solution.
“Ampera’s architecture is perfectly suited for large vessels, cruise ships, reefer units and port barges,” added Matthews.
“Operators we are speaking with are very enthusiastic about the economic and environmental benefits that can be achieved to make their fleets even more efficient and cost competitive.”
Photo credit: Ampera
Published: 3 February, 2026
