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CORE POWER concludes first conference, finds strong demand for New Nuclear in maritime

Speakers from Oxford University, International Atomic Energy Agency, UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, ABS, Lloyd’s Register present findings at event.
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The first ‘New Nuclear in Maritime’ conference held in London on Thursday (6 October) concluded with strong demand for new nuclear technology to meet the needs of zero carbon fuels and future nuclear propulsion systems for large ships, according to UK based maritime and technology innovation company CORE POWER.

The conference, organised at the Science Museum in London by CORE POWER, saw 100 international executives gather to discuss and debate the path forward for molten salt reactors and micro heat pipe reactors in the marine industries.

Keynote speaker Dr. Martin Stopford told delegates that the time for making investments for the 2020s has passed, and that the time has come for making investments for the 2030s and 2040s.

For the marine industries to meet both stricter environmental targets and remain competitive will remain the biggest challenge as the high cost and low energy content of alternative fuels is realised. Without a prominent nuclear component, the industry is unlikely to meet either of its goals.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Wade Allison of Oxford University illustrated the difference between safe levels of radiation and the current regulatory maximum. A unit of measurement for an absorbed dose of 100 milli-grays (mGy) per month which was the agreed safety limit set in 1934 has a demonstrated record of no harm, in stark contrast to the current safety limit set in the 1950s of 0.1 mGy per month.

Professor Allison, who is one of the world’s leading experts on radiation safety, said that nuclear radiation is safe for life at low and moderate rates and never catches and spreads like infection or fire.

Dr. Mamdouh El Shanawany, previously head of the nuclear safety division of the International Atomic Energy Agency laid out the methodologies adopted by the Agency in promoting nuclear energy for peaceful use and gave an insight into the work being done to provide guidance on new generations of nuclear technologies for the marine and transport sectors.

Secretary General of the World Nuclear Transport Institute, Martin Porter illustrated the exceptionally high standards which have been set for moving nuclear materials around as cargo and illustrated how over 50 years of transporting more than 20 million cargoes of nuclear and irradiated material, no incident has ever caused harm.

Deputy Director Regulations & Standards at the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Gwilym Stone shared how the UK Government are passing the Nuclear Code for Ships, adopted at the IMO in 1981 into law in November 2022 and how the significant work of modernising those rules for a new generation of nuclear vessels can now begin.

Meg Dowling from the American Bureau of Shipping in Houston set out how ABS are working with the US Dept of Energy to map the pathway to demonstration of new nuclear for maritime with the help of the Maritime Nuclear Applications Group working under the National Reactor Innovation Centre.

Mark Tipping from Lloyd’s Register explained the important work being done at LR to create new classification rules for nuclear offshore installations and nuclear-powered ships, in anticipation of the new rules for such assets being passed by the UK Government.

Members of the CORE POWER team in London laid out use cases for molten salt reactors and micro heat pipe reactors at sea to produce synthetic fuels, hydrogen, fresh desalinated water and as future means of propulsion power.

Conference chairman Tobi Menzies concluded the day by reflecting on the string demand now forming in the marine industries for durable, sustainable energy from a new generation of nuclear engines.

The next New Nuclear in Maritime Conference has been announced for Singapore on the 8-9th February 2023.

 

Photo credit: CORE POWER
Published: 12 October, 2022

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Methanol

Chimbusco completes bunkering op of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

“COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU” was supplied approximately 900 metric tonnes of methanol marine fuel by Chimbusco in Shanghai on 11 May.

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Chimbusco completes bunkering of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co Ltd (Chimbusco) completed a bunkering operation of the first domestically manufactured methanol dual-fuel container ship in Shanghai on 11 May, according to COSCO Shipping on Thursday (15 May). 

COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU was supplied approximately 900 metric tonnes (mt) of methanol marine fuel by Chimbusco at Pier 1 of COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry. 

The operation started on 7 May but was postponed due to unfavourable weather from the Jianghuai Cyclone.

Chimbusco completes bunkering of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

COSCO Shipping said the operation marked an important achievement in green and low-carbon transformation in shipping, from ship construction and ecological layout of the entire green fuel industry chain of the company. 

Manifold Times previously reported the naming ceremony of China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship, COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU in Yangzhou.

The methanol dual-fuel container ship named was the first in a series of vessels from COSCO Shipping Holdings, constructed by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Yangzhou. 

Related: COSCO Shipping names China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship

 

Photo credit: Cosco Shipping
Published: 23 May, 2025

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LNG Bunkering

Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Milestone was achieved by Shell’s LNG bunker barge “Haugesund Knutsen” supplying the “Mein Schiff Relax” cruise ship at Port of Barcelona, says Dexter Belmar of Shell.

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Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Energy giant Shell recently conducted its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona, according to Dexter Belmar, General Manager and Head of Global Downstream LNG on Thursday (22 May).

He said the milestone was achieved by Shell’s LNG bunker barge Haugesund Knutsen supplying the Mein Schiff Relax cruise ship.

“Barcelona, one of Europe and the Mediterranean’s leading cruise ports, is also a key LNG bunkering location for Shell as we help more cruise ships transition to lower-emission fuels,” he said in a social media post. 

“A huge thank you to Royal Caribbean Group for their trust, and to Knutsen and Port of Barcelona for their collaboration in making this bunkering safe and efficient.”

Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Belmar said LNG is leading the way as the preferred alternative bunker fuel in the cruise industry. 

“At Shell, we’re proud to support LNG fuelling needs at 26 locations worldwide, including major cruise ports like Bahamas, Barcelona, Canaveral, Everglades, Jamaica, Miami, Singapore, Southampton, and Tenerife,” he added. 

 

Photo credit: Shell
Published: 23 May, 2025

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LNG Bunkering

IGU report: Global LNG bunkering fleet grows to 56 operational vessels by 2024

LNG bunkering fleet is concentrated in Europe with the highest capacity of operational bunkering vessels, followed by Asia/Asia Pacific and North America, according to 2025 World LNG report by IGU.

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IGU report: Global LNG bunkering fleet grows to 56 operational vessels by 2024

The global operational LNG bunkering and bunkering-capable small-scale vessel fleet reached 56 units at the end of December 2024 with further support from expanding infrastructure and regulatory drivers such as the IMO’s ban of heavy fuel oil in Arctic shipping and the EU’s FuelEU Maritime regulation.

This was nine more vessels than in 2023, with a total added capacity of 82,900 cubic metres (m3). 

This was one of the major highlights in the 2025 World LNG report by the International Gas Union (ICU), which was launched at the 29th World Gas Conference (WGC2025) in Beijing on Thursday (22 May). 

IGU report: Global LNG bunkering fleet grows to 56 operational vessels by 2024

The LNG bunkering fleet is concentrated in Europe with the highest capacity of operational bunkering vessels. This is followed by Asia/Asia Pacific and then North America, both of which have seen rapid expansions in the past five years. 

As of the end of 2024, Europe has the highest bunkering capacity, with a total of 190,757 cm across 25 vessels currently in operation within the region. 

Asia/Asia Pacific has the second-highest bunkering capacity, with a total of 179,700 m3 across 17 vessels in operation. From that, China currently has five operational LNG bunkering vessels while South Korea currently provides STS bunkering services with four bunkering vessels. Singapore currently has three bunkering vessels in operation. 

North America continued its progress toward becoming a significant region in the LNG bunkering market in 2024, reaching a total capacity of 86,400 m3 across 10 operational vessels by year-end.

The report noted: “2024 was a significant year for LNG bunkering. Bunker users were quick to capture the reductions in both fuel costs and carbon emissions from using LNG, taking advantage of lower LNG prices relative to other marine fuels in 2024. Lower prices and an emerging LNG-fuelled fleet were catalysts in the large uptake in LNG bunker volumes.”

The Port of Singapore, which is the largest bunkering port in the world, recorded 463,900 tonnes of LNG bunkered in 2024, almost four times the 110,900 tonnes in 2023. The Port of Rotterdam, the second-largest bunkering port in the world, also recorded a 52% increase in bunkered LNG, from 620,000 cm in 2023 to 941,366 cm in 2024.”

IGU also said the newcomer in STS LNG bunkering is the Middle East with the LNG bunkering vessel Green Zeebrugge.

“The ship moved at the end of 2024 to Dubai and has performed the first ever LNG bunkering in the Middle East. This area is identified as a potential new LNG bunkering hub with Oman, the UAE, and Qatar as the main bunkering locations.”

Note: The ‘2025 World LNG Report’ can be downloaded here. 

 

Photo credit: International Gas Union
Published: 23 May, 2025

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