US Approves Early Design of South Korea's Nuclear Container Ship with Molten Salt Reactors

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US bureau clears early design for South Korea's nuclear container ship concept

Twin molten salt reactors replace conventional engines in ambitious cargo vessel proposal

Engineers removed fuel tanks to create additional cargo-carrying capacity

South Korea has secured preliminary US approval for the conceptual design of a 15,000 TEU container ship powered by two molten salt small modular reactors (SMRs).

The Approval in Principle was issued by the American Bureau of Shipping, indicating the concept satisfies applicable safety intentions for this early design stage while remaining subject to additional technical conditions.

The proposal combines nuclear propulsion, energy storage, and an optimized vessel layout intended to improve operational efficiency while supporting long-term decarburization efforts across commercial shipping.

Dual-reactor concept focuses on safety and operational efficiency

The Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) worked with Samsung Heavy Industries on hull development, reactor placement, and power management technologies for the vessel.

Meanwhile, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is responsible for developing the molten salt reactor intended for marine propulsion applications.

Together, the organizations designed a ship capable of carrying 15,000 TEU while maintaining operational characteristics suitable for commercial container transportation.

According to KRISO, the power architecture uses two redundant molten salt reactors that share electrical output while working alongside an onboard energy storage system.

Excess electricity can be stored before being supplied when demand increases, allowing reactor output and propulsion requirements to remain balanced throughout operations.

The conceptual design also incorporates a hull capable of reaching 25 knots while remaining compatible with the expanded Panama Canal.

Engineers placed the reactors near the vessel's center to reduce wave effects and lower potential collision risks during maritime operations.

Removing conventional fuel tanks and exhaust funnels also creates additional cargo space while allowing accommodation areas to be arranged with radiation protection and visibility requirements in mind.

To improve confidence in the design, researchers tested scaled ship models inside a deep-sea engineering tank to evaluate vessel motion under different marine conditions.

Those experiments produced data supporting hull development and reactor placement while examining how ship movement could affect major onboard systems.

Marine testing supports future nuclear shipping development

Principal researcher Baek Bu-geun said reactor safety alone cannot determine whether nuclear propulsion is suitable for commercial vessels because overall ship design and operating conditions also require careful consideration.

"To apply SMRs to ship propulsion systems, not only the safety of the reactor but also the structure and operational characteristics of the ship and the marine environment must be comprehensively considered," Bu-geun said.

Future work would progress through basic and detailed design phases addressing the interface between the ship and reactor before possible demonstration projects.

"SMR-powered vessels are a next-generation technology that will determine the competitiveness of the future shipping industry…,” said KRISO President Hong Ki-yong.

Commercial shipping currently consumes approximately 350 million tonnes of fossil fuel annually and accounts for about 3% of global carbon emissions.

The proposed SMR-powered container forms part of ongoing efforts to develop lower-emission propulsion technologies, though commercial deployment remains years away.

Via WNN