Nuclear power for shipping; understanding the opportunity in context

Refreshed technologies hold promise in addressing shipping’s clean energy needs, but solutions won’t emerge in the short term, writes Patrick Ryan, a vice president at ABS.

Using nuclear power to propel ships is not a new concept, but the intense interest in commercial maritime decarbonisation is pushing curiosity around the topic to new heights. This is unlikely to be your father’s nuclear power, as it is based on new technologies that differ from legacy power plants.

What is clear is that – in common with other alternative fuels – the importance of doing nuclear power right outplays any consideration of timescale or technology. However, that creates a tension for the maritime industry, where near term solutions are sought for problems that enable a ‘business as usual’ scenario.

Nuclear has the potential to play a role in the future of maritime energy, but when it will become available is the critical question. There is too much technological development, too much risk to manage and too many stakeholders to put arbitrary timescales in place on its viability as an option for shipping.

To judge by the degree of debate, nuclear might be seen as a solution in waiting. On a simple technology readiness level scale of one to nine, commercial nuclear for marine application is approximately level 3 – research and development of the technologies has been initiated and analytical models exist. That is the level of maturity. We have a long journey towards commercial availability, which is the highest level – technology readiness level nine.

Nuclear power is not simply a new type of fuel that is possible with sufficient technology and process to manage it. Nuclear technology is a national security issue that goes far beyond shipboard safety. It is subject to multi-governmental approvals and licensing regimes, with unknowns in insurability and general societal acceptance, and with a stakeholder group far wider than other alternative fuel choices.

Even in the face of these challenges, ‘doing nothing’ is not an option. We believe that each of the challenges nuclear presents can be addressed. Developing nuclear power for shipping will be a process comprising a combination of studies, projects and funding requirements. At present we can only see a partial outline of what will ultimately be required.

We must begin the learning process to understand this better and ABS is committed to leading the way. The degree of rigour and discipline required, to evaluate technology and understand the techno-economic implications requires a vast amount of study.

ABS is in a position to play a leadership role in this development, having received various funded awards from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to study the barriers, opportunities, and technical integration needed for nuclear in marine applications. Our work will be undertaken from the position of a trusted third party; we are technology-neutral on which solutions fit the bill in the maritime setting, and, while funded in the United States, we are working with a spectrum of international stakeholders.

We plan to leverage these funded research opportunities to develop models of nuclear marine applications and develop an industry advisory on using nuclear power. Development and testing are vital parts of the process to qualify innovative technologies, and we will take every opportunity for learning.

Various land-based “new nuclear” power projects supported by private and public funding in the US are already underway and we expect to learn from these as they develop and apply them to maritime use cases.

It’s an exciting prospect and one we are equal to; ABS will be among the prime movers in helping industry understand the timeline, roadmap and technology options for nuclear power in the maritime industry and making it a reality.