A consortium led by Newcleo, alongside Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore and ABMI Groupe, has been selected for funding under a French maritime sector call-for-projects managed by Bpifrance.
The initiative was awarded almost €1 million ($1.1 million) to develop the conceptual design of a non-self-propelled floating barge housing multiple reactors with an electrical output of 200 MWe each.
Work on the project has already begun and is expected to run for approximately 18 months, Newcleo reported.
Initial conceptual studies focus on evaluating power delivery for isolated regions, ports, industrial hubs, desalination facilities, and fuel production.
Newcleo highlighted that maritime deployment of advanced reactors provides reliable power to coastal locations where land availability or grid constraints make conventional projects difficult.
The concept will leverage established offshore oil and gas practices for floating infrastructure, extending the firm's existing maritime nuclear work with Fincantieri and Saipem.
The partners aim to establish a roadmap towards potential industrial deployment by 2036, with the ambition to design and construct the solution in France.
Deployment will require integrating nuclear and maritime safety requirements alongside international frameworks, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency's ATLAS initiative launched on August 26.