The Nuclear Option: ABS Grants AIP for 15K TEU Nuclear-Propelled Vessel Design
A nuclear-propelled containership designed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) received approval in principle from ABS.
The 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.
Unlike conventional ships, nuclear-powered vessels do not require engine exhaust systems or fuel tanks. HD KSOE has optimized the space previously occupied by large engine room equipment to accommodate additional containers, enhancing economic efficiency. The company has also applied a marine radiation shielding system using a double-tank method with stainless steel and light water to ensure safety.
In collaboration with Baker Hughes, HD KSOE has applied a supercritical carbon dioxide-based propulsion system, improving thermal efficiency by approximately 5% compared to existing steam-based propulsion systems.
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 decarbonization 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. The new nuclear story is now being written and this collaboration with KSOE is an important step forward,” said ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki.
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.”
