US startup Bluecore Energy has launched operations after delivering its first barge and electric test reactor to its headquarters at the Port of Long Beach in California.
The company is developing small modular, water-cooled nuclear reactors designed to operate aboard floating barges to supply power directly to ports, infrastructure, and cargo ships.
Its initial 10 MWe system is designed to generate electricity for approximately 15,000 homes or scale to meet the operational demands of a major port facility. Designed to operate for years on a single fuelling cycle, multiple reactors can be paired together to provide power for utilities, data centres, and offshore facilities.
Bluecore Energy noted that its design utilises nuclear reactor principles established over the past 70 years, adapting the technology into a compact floating layout.
The company said it has raised approximately $10 million in an oversubscribed financing round to support technological development and commercialisation.
"Ports, industry, data centres, and critical infrastructure need more reliable power than ever before," noted Kofi Asante, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bluecore Energy. He added that the company aims to bring power sources directly to locations experiencing energy constraints rather than building traditional grid infrastructure.
