A pioneering nuclear propelled containership designed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has received approval in principle from ABS.
The groundbreaking design for a 15k TEU vessel uses a propulsion system comprised of a molten salt reactor (MSR) for heat and a supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) system for power generation.
Net zero by 2050
ABS completed design reviews based on class requirements. ABS published the industry’s first comprehensive requirements for floating nuclear power in October last year.
“Advanced modern reactors are both a global decarbonisation solution and a commercial shipping disruptor. They are a key transformational technology that forms a critical part of the calculus to get to net zero by 2050 and they change the commercial model, the economics of shipping, the operation of the vessels and their design, as KSOE have demonstrated," said ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki.
Collaboration with KSOE
ABS published the industry’s first comprehensive needs for floating nuclear power in October last year
Wiernicki added: "The new nuclear story is now being written and this collaboration with KSOE is an important step forward,”
Senior Vice President Sangmin Park of HD KSOE said: “Fourth-generation SMRs, currently in the demonstration phase, offer a groundbreaking improvement in safety compared to conventional reactors. When applied to large container ships, they could potentially have less risk than some of the other alternative fuel systems.”
Offshore and maritime applications
Following the AIP, HD KSOE will continue to work with ABS to further develop the vessel.
ABS is pioneering the industry in exploring advanced nuclear reactor technologies for offshore and maritime applications and is working with the U.S. Department of Energy to research barriers to the adoption of advanced nuclear propulsion on commercial vessels.
