en.Wedoany.com Reported - The International Atomic Energy Agency plans to launch the ATLAS initiative in August 2026 to promote the use of small modular reactors for civilian ships and offshore energy, improving regulatory, safety, security, and safeguards frameworks.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plans to launch a new initiative at the IAEA Ministerial Conference in the United States in August 2026. The initiative, named the Approval for Technology Licensing of Atomic-based Systems (ATLAS), aims to explore the use of small reactors to power civilian vessels and support offshore energy applications for the maritime industry. The IAEA hopes the initiative will facilitate the deployment of such reactors in the maritime sector.

ATLAS aims to foster collaboration among the maritime industry, the nuclear industry, and the IAEA to jointly identify and address challenges facing maritime nuclear energy applications. Through ATLAS, IAEA member states will develop a framework to promote and support the deployment of maritime nuclear energy. This framework will include recommendations for revising IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance to ensure effective safeguards throughout the entire lifecycle of maritime nuclear-powered vessels and related facilities.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi noted that the application of nuclear energy in the shipping and maritime industries presents unprecedented opportunities: it not only enables ships to sail cleanly, farther, and faster without frequent refueling, but the high energy density of small reactors can also provide clean energy for various operations. This is precisely the solution we urgently need to achieve a truly lasting transformation in shipping and other sectors.

According to the IAEA, the launch event in the United States will formally introduce the vision, structure, and initial work plan of ATLAS, while promoting dialogue among member states and key stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges related to maritime nuclear technology applications. Ministers from IAEA member states and representatives from other organizations, such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), are invited to attend the launch event.

The first day of the event will feature an opening ceremony with keynote speeches by Grossi and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, followed by remarks from IAEA member state ministers. A series of panel discussions on topics related to maritime nuclear technology applications will then be held.

The second day will feature an IAEA-led technical plenary session, focusing on the proposed activities of ATLAS and soliciting feedback from regulators, industry representatives, shipping companies, classification societies, and other stakeholders. Additionally, heads of invited delegations will visit the NS Savannah, the world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship, currently docked in Baltimore, Maryland.

According to the IAEA, the August 2026 launch event is expected to build strong momentum and broad visibility for the initiative by securing high-level political support and fostering engagement between the nuclear and maritime industries.

The event will aim to reach and confirm consensus on priority actions related to legal and regulatory frameworks, safety, security, safeguards, and liability, and enhance synergy between nuclear and maritime stakeholders by identifying key challenges, gaps, and areas requiring coordination.

The U.S. Department of Energy is not the only U.S. agency interested in developing maritime and offshore nuclear energy applications. The Maritime Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced an initiative seeking industry input on developing a U.S.-manufactured, scalable, replicable, commercially viable, system-centric small modular reactor and its deployment in the maritime transportation system.

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