According to The Maritime Executive, Lloyds Register has convened a working group of professionals to piece together all the requirements for a merchant-vessel reactor program. The group includes experts from the engineering, regulatory and insurance fields.

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The partners in the program include Rolls-Royce’s Advanced Modular Reactors division, which has designed a gas-cooled particle fuel reactor. Other participants are UK defense conglomerate Babcock, consultancy Global Nuclear Security Partners, law firm Stephenson Harwood, and insurer NorthStandard. The objective is to move quickly into the market with a British solution for nuclear propulsion.

“Decarbonization demands cleaner power, higher standards and a duty to the generations that follow. Nuclear is ready to meet that test,” said Nick Brown, CEO of Lloyds Register. “Used safely in naval fleets for decades, the next generation of advanced modular reactors brings tougher safeguards and the chance to bring nuclear power into everyday commercial shipping.”

Next steps include pursuing UK regulatory approval for a site-licensed advanced modular reactor, known as a Statement of Design Acceptability. The consortium will also develop a class framework and define the security requirements needed for the reactor.

“With the right people applying the right standards and joined up regulation, maritime nuclear power can become a transformative force – advancing decarbonization, supporting commercial viability, and guiding the shipping industry towards net-zero emissions,” said NorthStandard head of external affairs Mike Salthouse.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform