Is nuclear energy shedding its unfairly earned reputation as a dirty, dangerous alt-fuel? Perhaps the maritime industry, mainstream media and public are still not completely sold on the concept –but, compared to when we covered the topic two years ago (see Ship & Boat International January/February 2022, pages 28-30), attitudes appear to be softening. The […]
Class society Lloyd’s Register (LR) and UK-based operator Zodiac Maritime have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) and KEPCO E&C for a joint development project (JDP) to research and develop nuclear-propelled designs for container ships and bulk carriers. According to the press release KSOE (the […]
Dr M.J. Cianni, CEng., FRINA, FIEAust In order for the AUKUS submarines to operate for 33 years without refuelling they will need to use highly enriched uranium (HEU) at 93% to 97%, with a mass in excess of 200kg. Since HEU is highly efficient, enabling a 200kg HEU mass over 33 years would give a […]
Fincantieri, RINa and newcleo team up for nuclear-propulsion study Although it’s unlikely to offer a short-term solution to shipping’s decarbonisation mission, the tantalising possibilities offered by nuclear power continue to attract a small but growing number of proponents among the industry’s forward thinkers. In late July, Italian shipyard Fincantieri became the latest company to declare […]
newcleo, a UK-headquartered nuclear technology company, has announced an agreement with shipbuilders Fincantieri and Italian classification society RINa to carry out a feasibility study into the application of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the shipping industry. In particular, the collaboration will explore the potential of using newcleo’s innovative LFR (Lead-cooled Fast Reactor) as a small nuclear […]
By Dr MJ Cianni, CEng., FRINA, FIEAust In order for the AUKUS submarines to operate for 33 years without refuelling they will need to use highly enriched uranium (HEU) at 93% to 97%, with a mass in excess of 200Kg. Since HEU is highly efficient, enabling a 200Kg HEU mass over 33 years would give […]
What a difference a year can make. In Ship & Boat International January/February 2022 (pages 28-30), we looked at nuclear power and its potentially game-changing contribution to clean marine propulsion. Back then, we wrote: “It would be unwise to write off nuclear power, given the uphill struggle the industry faces in meeting IMO’s emissions targets […]