On October 12, classification society ABS and the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance the use of commercial nuclear technology at sea.
The work will encompass nuclear energy systems on floating platforms, nuclear-powered vessels, and the port facilities, shipyards and industrial base required for their construction and support. Announced priorities include assessing concepts and feasibility for floating nuclear energy and nuclear transportation corridors. The MoU also supports a US shipbuilding sector able to safely construct and operate nuclear-powered assets.
Under the agreement, ABS will share management of the Maritime Nuclear Applications Group (MNAG). It will also provide support for the studies across technical, regulatory, economic and policy areas.
ABS will channel related efforts through the US Maritime Administration's (MARAD) US Center for Maritime Innovation (USCMI), where it serves as Secretariat. It will also work with DOE on inter-agency coordination. DOE leads federal efforts concerning maritime nuclear applications.
"Advanced nuclear technology is moving from concept to application, and the maritime industry needs to be ready for it," said ABS Chairman and CEO John McDonald. He added that the agreement, "reflects the depth of work already underway and provides a framework to go further."
Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish said advanced nuclear technology, "has the potential to transform the commercial maritime industry and open new markets for American innovation." He said the partnership would, "help explore how we can build on decades of experience to safely bring next-generation nuclear technologies to the maritime sector."
The MOU follows several federal moves on commercial maritime small modular reactors (SMR). On May 7, MARAD launched an initiative seeking industry input on a, "US-built scalable, repeatable, commercially viable" SMR system for the marine transportation system. Topics included design, safety, shipbuilding and workforce development, regulatory readiness, liability, insurance, inspection and port access. MARAD said it was collaborating with the US Coast Guard, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and DOE on the initiative.
In June, the Port of Long Beach agreed to create a site for trials of nuclear-powered vessels under that initiative. This was followed in August by a separate agreement between MARAD and the Port of Corpus Christi to explore SMR integration, port microgrids, shoreside power and workforce development.
The NRC has stated that it can license maritime reactors under existing regulations. It is pursuing a rulemaking focused on microreactors and comparable reactors, and is developing a white paper on applying current licensing frameworks to nuclear power plants installed on floating facilities and nuclear propulsion. Internationally, the International Atomic Energy Agency's Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS) initiative is working towards a framework covering floating nuclear power plants and ships using civil nuclear propulsion.
The maritime nuclear group was originally formed with the help of DOE's National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC). It connects experts from the maritime and nuclear sectors, undertakes studies and identifies legal and regulatory hurdles.
ABS has published classification rules for nuclear power plants on floating platforms. In 2024, it released a study with Herbert Engineering Corporation that modelled a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor on a 145,000-cubic-metre LNG carrier.
Earlier this month, Hyundai Glovis and US operator Liberty Global Logistics agreed to assess the feasibility of a nuclear-powered car carrier service between South Korea and the United States.
