Plans for Nuclear-Powered 24,000 TEU Containership Unveiled in China - gCaptain
Plans for Nuclear-Powered 24,000 TEU Containership Unveiled in China
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) has unveiled plans for what could potentially become the world’s largest nuclear-powered containership.
Plans for the 24,000-TEU-class ship was unveiled Tuesday at Marintec China expo in Shanghai. The vessel will utilize a fourth-generation Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) to generate electricity.
“The ultra-large nuclear container ship is designed to truly achieve ‘zero emissions’ during the ship’s operating cycle,” CSSC said in a Weibo post.
Classification society DNV was reportedly on hand for the launch ceremony to issue an approval-in-principle to CSSC shipyard Jiangnan Shipbuilding.
“This ship type has high safety, the reactor operates at high temperature and low pressure, can avoid core melting in principle, and has anti-proliferation and inherent safety features,” CSSC’s Weibo post said (translated using Google Translate).
Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) are a type of small scale modular nuclear reactors that use a liquid mixture of salts as both the fuel and the coolant. The fuel, which is dissolved in the salt, allows for better control and efficiency in the nuclear reaction, providing improved safety and potential for higher fuel utilization.
Considering that nuclear energy has been supplying zero-emission power to naval and government vessels for over six decades, the shipping industry is exploring the use of nuclear propulsion for commercial ships in an effort to increase efficiency and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint to meet international targets.
A study by classification society ABS released earlier this year suggested that nuclear propulsion in commercial marine vessels, specifically a 14,000 TEU containership and a Suezmax tanker, can increase cargo capacity and operational speed while eliminating CO2 emissions and the need for refueling over a 25-year lifespan.
Christopher Wiernicki, Chairman and CEO of international classification society ABS, believes nuclear propulsion is key to achieving a net-zero world.
“A net-zero world is more easily realized through nuclear propulsion, and we are putting in place the foundations for that future today. Turning this into a practical reality will require significant public sector support and ABS is well placed to bring governments and industry together,” he said upon ABS’ release of the study in July.
“Advanced or small modular reactors address many of the issues traditionally associated with nuclear for commercial maritime use, with enhanced safety and efficiency, reduced cost and waste and proliferation prevention. Nevertheless, many questions need to be answered and it is critical that industry evaluate these technologies with a laser focus on safety,” he said.
Sign up for our newsletter
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.