Norway’s NuProShip (Nuclear Propulsion in Shipping) has embarked on its second stage after completing initial studies into Generation IV reactors. The project, which was launched in 2023, aims to develop a commercially viable zero-emission technology for deep-sea ships. The Research Council of Norway awarded nearly $1m to support the project which has also drawn support from some of the leading companies in the shipping industry.

Norwegian Shipbuilder VARD is joining the second stage of the project, which is scheduled to run until the end of 2025. VARD’s primary contribution involves integrating these reactor systems into various vessel types, assessing the technical challenges to enable the future commercial use of nuclear-powered ships. Other partners include DNV, Knutsen Tankers, the Norwegian Maritime Administration, and Spanish nuclear consultancy IDOM.

The initial focus of the project was approved designs with a power of 25-55 MW. Stage one studies the feasibility of different Generation IV nuclear reactor concepts. Concepts from 99 companies were studied before three reactor types were selected for future study. These were:

  • Kairos Power (USA): Fluoride high-temperature molten salt reactor using TRISO (TRI-structural ISOtropic) fuel particles, designed for robust and efficient operation.
  • Ultrasafe (USA): Helium-cooled gas reactor, also employing TRISO fuel particles, known for their resilience and safety in extreme conditions.
  • Blykalla (Sweden): Lead-cooled fast reactor concept utilising uranium oxide as fuel, offering high efficiency with advanced cooling mechanisms.

The shipping industry has shown increasing interest in the concept of nuclear-powered propulsion. The NS Savannah was the first nuclear-powered merchant ship built in the late 1950s at a cost of $46.9m was funded by United States government agencies. This was a demonstration project and was in service between 1962 and 1972 as one of only four nuclear-powered cargo ships ever built The Soviet ice-breaker Lenin, launched on December 5, 1957, was the first nuclear-powered civilian ship. Russia is the primary user of nuclear propulsion for its icebreakers.

The next phase of the NuProShip project will be expanded to include insurance companies to further explore the viability of nuclear technology in the shipping industry. The concepts defined in the first phase will be further analysed during the second phase with respect to feasibility, safety, costs, waste, and other factors. The third phase of the project calls for developing and testing a prototype to estimate the economic and environmental effects. It will outline the risks and future development needs to proceed with the concept of nuclear-powered merchant ships.

The work is split into four work packages each with major R&D challenges. The first is the nuclear island and everything that goes with it including land-based matters such as harbour and nuclear waste treatment. The second investigates all the technical implications for ships while the third studies the operational issues at sea. A fourth work package assembles all the insights from the previous three to estimate economic- and environmental effects including risks and future development needs.