LR Launches Cross-Sector Nuclear Propulsion Consortium
As the world looks for alternatives to bunker fuel, nuclear propulsion, by contrast, offers some attractive features. Regular bunkering is not required, so there is no need to build up a global fuel network. The basic concept of a shipboard reactor is established, and there is a community of engineers who understand the requirements. And the price of modern modular reactors - when looking at total cost of ownership - could be competitive. The latest serious entrant into the nuclear-power arena is Lloyd's Register: the world's first class society has convened a working group of professionals from the engineering, regulatory and insurance fields to piece together all of the requirements for a merchant-vessel reactor program.
The partners in the program include Rolls-Royce's Advanced Modular Reactors division, which has designed a gas-cooled particle fuel reactor in an appropriate power range for many merchant shipping applications. Rolls-Royce is one of a handful of companies with experience in building and servicing naval reactors, and it has powered Britain's nuclear submarine fleet since the Cold War.
Other participants include UK defense conglomerate Babcock, which has experience in shipbuilding and nuclear submarine design; Global Nuclear Security Partners, a specialized consultancy focused on nuclear threat reduction; law firm Stephenson Harwood, which has an established nuclear project legal team; and insurer NorthStandard, one of the largest P&I clubs.
The objective is to move quickly into the market with a British solution for nuclear propulsion. There are early efforts under way elsewhere, and LR sees opportunity in being a first mover. The nation that develops a nuclear-propulsion industrial ecosystem will benefit for the long term, LR suggests.
"Decarbonization demands cleaner power, higher standards and a duty to the generations that follow. Nuclear is ready to meet that test," said Nick Brown, CEO of Lloyd’s Register. "Used safely in naval fleets for decades, the next generation of advanced modular reactors brings tougher safeguards and the chance to bring nuclear power into everyday commercial shipping."
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Next steps include pursuing UK regulatory approval for a site-licensed advanced modular reactor, a stepping stone known as a Statement of Design Acceptability. The consortium will also develop a class framework combining the requirements for nuclear and maritime regulation, and will define the security requirements needed for the reactor.
“With the right people applying the right standards and joined up regulation, maritime nuclear power can become a transformative force – advancing decarbonization, supporting commercial viability, and guiding the shipping industry towards net-zero emissions," said NorthStandard head of external affairs Mike Salthouse.
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