DNV releases report on nuclear power
Classification society DNV has released a new white paper examining possible applications and challenges for nuclear-powered merchant vessels. The development comes more than four decades after the first prototypes were unveiled.
Its latest report, ‘Maritime nuclear propulsion: technologies, commercial viability, and regulatory challenges for nuclear-powered vessels’, identifies a range of issues relating to nuclear fuel adoption.
Advances in automation, digitalisation, and modular design are highlighted as critical enablers of safety, security, and non-proliferation of future nuclear fuels and reactors. These developments offer potential to pave the way for public acceptance.
A coordinated strategy at both national and international levels will be required to enable safe nuclear propulsion at sea, DNV said. The IMO, the International Atomic Energy Agency, flag states, national authorities, and classification societies, will all have to cooperate to establish a regulatory strategy for nuclear applications in shipping.
“Nuclear energy has the potential to play a role in the maritime energy transition,” declared Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, the classification society’s Maritime CEO. “However, much work still needs to be done to overcome technical, regulatory, and societal challenges, including public perception. This will require coordinated global action, technological innovation, and closely aligned regulatory frameworks.”
DNV’s senior principal researcher and lead author of the paper, added: “For nuclear propulsion to become commercially viable in shipping, the business case must account for the full lifecycle costs, including fuel supply, reactor maintenance, and waste management. Modular and standardised reactor designs can significantly reduce capital and operational expenditures, while robust regulatory frameworks and predictable supply chains are essential for investor confidence and long-term competitiveness.”
