Existing port safety and risk-management frameworks could provide a credible starting point for assessing nuclear-powered commercial ship calls within a major European port environment. This follows from a new joint study that uses the Port of Rotterdam as a case study.
The desktop study is titled “Enabling Nuclear-Powered Feeder Ships: A Joint Development Project on Port Call Feasibility and Regulatory Pathways”. It was carried out through a joint development project involving Lloyd’s Register, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Core Power and A.P. Moller-Maersk.
The study sets out the questions that ports, regulators and industry would need to answer in order to assess nuclear-powered vessels in a structured and responsible way. It also identifies further work that would be required before routine operation could be contemplated, including regulatory alignment, emergency preparedness, security, liability and public engagement.
Its publication comes at a time of growing pressure on the shipping industry to identify even more scalable zero-emission technologies capable of meeting increasingly demanding decarbonisation requirements while preserving operational reliability, endurance and flexibility.
Also read: IMO plans safety rules for battery, wind and nuclear ships
Nuclear should be part of the discussion
The report argues that maritime nuclear propulsion should be evaluated as part of the wider discussion around shipping decarbonisation, energy resilience and long-term industrial competitiveness.
While much of the current EU policy discussion has focused on alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and e-fuels, the report notes that segments of global shipping may ultimately require additional propulsion solutions capable of supporting endurance, reliability and operational flexibility at scale.
European port environment
The Port of Rotterdam participated as a case study because it provides a real-world European port environment through which to examine how emerging energy and shipping technologies could interact with existing port safety frameworks, operations and regulatory processes.
Importantly, the study concludes that existing risk-based port safety frameworks already familiar to European ports could provide a credible starting point for assessing nuclear-powered vessels, provided nuclear-specific safety, security and operational considerations are systematically integrated and supported by appropriate national and international guidance.
Also read: UK maritime consortium plans nuclear-powered fleet
Key findings
The findings suggest that the real challenge for future maritime nuclear propulsion is likely to centre on regulatory alignment, governance, integration between nuclear and maritime safety regimes, and public and institutional preparedness.
The study identifies several key findings:
- Existing port safety and risk-management frameworks provide a credible starting point for the assessment of nuclear-powered commercial vessels within the defined case study scenario.
- Further work is needed on regulatory alignment, governance coordination, nuclear-specific safety and security, emergency preparedness, liability and insurance, operational integration and public engagement before routine commercial operation could be contemplated.
- Current IMO provisions relating to nuclear-powered ships were developed for an earlier era and require modernisation to support any future civil commercial nuclear propulsion pathway.
- Current European maritime decarbonisation discussions remain heavily focused on alternative fuels, with comparatively limited consideration of high-density, zero-emission propulsion systems capable of supporting long-range and high-utilisation shipping operations.
- Major ports and maritime Member States may play an important role in shaping how nuclear propulsion is assessed and potentially integrated into future shipping strategies.
The early-stage work examined a defined feeder vessel concept, assumed operating scenario, port-call profile and regulatory context. It is, however, not a licensing assessment, an endorsement of deployment, or a final safety or security case.
Trust and confidence is fundamental
Mikal Bøe, CEO of Core Power: ‘An obvious key to the success of civil maritime nuclear propulsion is the trusted confidence of port cities and their populations in ship calls by nuclear-powered merchant ships. Together with Rotterdam, LR and Maersk we’ve identified a port safety framework and created a credible starting point for assessments by the IMO as it revises the Safety Code for Nuclear Ships and for the IAEA as it launches its flagship ATLAS programme this summer. We’ve highlighted where further work is needed, including modernised port guidance, inter agency regulatory alignment, nuclear-specific safety, and security requirements and best in class emergency preparedness to build public trust. That trust and confidence is fundamental if we’re going to transform the future civil shipping sector.’
Image by ChatGPT.
Also read: Nuclear power: Why offshore vessels need a new energy model
