Samsung Heavy to develop floating nuclear power plants

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) from South Korea and Denmark’s Seaborg have signed a partnership agreement to develop floating nuclear power plants based on Seaborg’s compact molten salt reactor (CMSR) technology. The agreement includes development of hydrogen and ammonia production plants.

The aim of the strategic partnership is to manufacture and sell turn-key power plants, ready to be moored at industrial harbours and connected to the electric grid onshore. An optional solution is to place a hydrogen or ammonia production plant next to the floating nuclear power plant utilising the CO2-free fission energy to produce hydrogen and ammonia.

The floating nuclear power plant design is modular delivering up to 800 MW-electric for a 24-year lifetime.​

“CMSR is a carbon-free energy source that can efficiently respond to climate change issues and is a next-generation technology that meets the vision of Samsung Heavy Industries. In addition, when an abnormal signal occurs inside the reactor, the liquid nuclear fuel, molten salt, is solidified to prevent serious accidents at the source, and provides high safety and high efficiency power and hydrogen production at the same time,” said Jintaek Jeong, president of Samsung Heavy, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders.

In related news, Samsung Heavy has revealed that it has developed an onboard carbon capture system in association with compatriot scrubber manufacturer Panasia, which has recently received an approval in principle from class society Korean Registe, with a view to commercialising the product by 2024.