U.S. MARAD and CORE POWER Advance Nuclear-Powered Commercial Ship Collaboration

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 24, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) and CORE POWER (US) Inc. signed a non-exclusive memorandum of cooperation to collaborate on the application of small modular reactors aboard U.S.-flag commercial vessels, covering regulatory approvals, port operations, crew qualifications, nuclear fuel supply, insurance, financing, and industrial infrastructure development.

Under the cooperation arrangement, the parties will study the establishment of an implementation framework for nuclear-powered commercial vessels, from design, construction, and nuclear system integration to operation and maintenance. CORE POWER plans to build nuclear-grade vessel integration and full life-cycle service bases in the United States, handling reactor system installation, initial core loading, testing, commissioning, refueling, and defueling.

Conventional hulls and ship systems may be constructed by commercial shipyards, while nuclear power systems are planned to be integrated at dedicated facilities. CORE POWER proposed advancing related projects by leveraging U.S. domestic shipbuilding capabilities as well as existing ship manufacturing capacity in allied nations such as Japan and South Korea.

In May of this year, MARAD launched an industry solicitation for maritime small modular reactors, inviting companies to submit commercial maritime SMR solutions covering reactor technology, shipyard manufacturing, licensing approvals, port access, nuclear fuel, personnel training, insurance, and decommissioning.

In August, CORE POWER submitted its "Project Pathfinder" proposal to MARAD, outlining the establishment of a U.S.-flag nuclear-powered commercial vessel development framework and the promotion of subsequent fleet-scale construction. The company proposed initiating the first projects starting in 2028, though it has not yet disclosed the specific vessel type, reactor model, power output, shipyard, or investment scale for the first ships.

Related efforts at U.S. ports have also commenced. In July of this year, the Port of Long Beach signed a maritime nuclear energy cooperation agreement with MARAD to study small modular reactors, port microgrids, and infrastructure for nuclear-powered vessel calls; in August, the Port of Corpus Christi signed a similar cooperation agreement with MARAD to study SMRs, shore power systems, and new vessel propulsion technologies.