- US agency approves early design for South Korea’s nuclear container ship concept
- Two molten salt reactors are replacing conventional engines in an ambitious proposal for cargo vessels
- Engineers removed fuel tanks to create additional cargo capacity
South Korea has secured preliminary US approval for the conceptual design of a 15,000 TEU container ship powered by two molten salt small modular reactors (SMRs).
Approval in principle was issued by the American Bureau of Shipping, indicating that the concept meets current safety intentions for this early design phase, while remaining subject to additional technical conditions.
The proposal combines nuclear propulsion, energy storage and an optimized vessel layout intended to improve operational efficiency while supporting long-term decarbonisation efforts across commercial shipping.
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The Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) worked with Samsung Heavy Industries on hull development, reactor placement and power management technologies for the vessel.
Meanwhile, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is responsible for the development of the molten salt reactor intended for marine propulsion applications.
Together, the organizations designed a vessel capable of carrying 15,000 TEU while maintaining operational characteristics suitable for commercial container transport.
According to KRISO, the power architecture uses two redundant molten salt reactors that share electrical output while working together with an on-board energy storage system.
Excess electricity can be stored before being delivered when demand increases, allowing reactor power and propulsion requirements to remain balanced throughout operation.
The conceptual design also incorporates a hull capable of reaching 25 knots while remaining compatible with the expanded Panama Canal.
Engineers placed the reactors near the center of the vessel to reduce wave effects and reduce potential collision risks during maritime operations.
Removal of conventional fuel tanks and exhaust funnels also creates additional cargo space, while accommodation areas can be arranged with radiation protection and visibility requirements in mind.
To improve confidence in the design, researchers tested scale ship models inside a deep-sea engineering tank to evaluate the vessel’s motion in various sea conditions.
These experiments produced data supporting hull development and reactor placement while investigating how ship motions could affect major onboard systems.
Marine testing supports future development of nuclear shipping
Lead researcher Baek Bu-geun said reactor safety alone cannot determine whether nuclear propulsion is suitable for commercial vessels because overall ship design and operating conditions also require careful consideration.
“To apply SMRs to ship propulsion systems, not only the safety of the reactor, but also the structure and operational characteristics of the ship and the marine environment must be carefully considered,” Bu-geun said.
Future work will go through basic and detailed design phases that address the interface between the ship and the reactor before possible demonstration projects.
“SMR-powered vessels are a next-generation technology that will determine the competitiveness of the future shipping industry…,” said KRISO President Hong Ki-yong.
Commercial shipping currently uses about 350 million tons of fossil fuel annually and accounts for about 3% of global carbon emissions.
The proposed SMR-powered container is part of ongoing efforts to develop lower-emissions propulsion technologies, although commercial deployment is still years away.
Via WNN
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