HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), an intermediary holding company for HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding division, has developed a nuclear-powered container ship model using Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology, aimed at accelerating the development of nuclear-powered vessels.
The model builds on an Approval in Principle (AIP) previously received from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for a 15,000 TEU-class container ship design incorporating SMR technology.
Without the need for engine exhaust systems or fuel tanks, nuclear-powered vessels allow for more cargo space, with HD KSOE having adapted former engine room areas for additional container capacity. A marine radiation shielding system, using a double-tank design with stainless steel and light water, has also been applied to improve safety.
A supercritical carbon dioxide-based propulsion system has additionally been incorporated into the design, in partnership with Baker Hughes, which the company says improves thermal efficiency by about 5% compared to traditional steam-based systems.
HD KSOE now plans to establish a marine nuclear demonstration facility at its Future Technology Test Centre in Yongin, in Korea’s Gyeonggi Province, to verify the safety of its designs.
“HD KSOE is strengthening cooperation not only with major classification societies but also with international regulatory bodies to establish international regulations necessary for the commercialisation of nuclear-powered vessels,” said Park Sangmin, Head of HD KSOE’s Green Energy Research Lab.
“Starting with the land-based SMR reactor manufacturing project, we aim to develop a marine nuclear business model by 2030.”
HD KSOE has been collaborating with TerraPower on next-generation SMR development since February of last year, and secured an order in December to manufacture key components for TerraPower’s Natrium reactor, currently under construction in Wyoming, USA.
