The MIT Maritime Consortium has released the Nuclear Ship Safety Handbook for civilian nuclear-powered vessels, aiming to provide a foundation for future regulation and operational standards as the maritime sector explores nuclear propulsion to meet decarbonisation goals.
The handbook consolidates research data, regulatory standards, and operational experience from past civilian nuclear ship projects, offering guidance on design and safety considerations for next-generation vessels.
Developed by MIT researchers and students across engineering, policy, and nuclear science disciplines, the publication aligns with recent US–UK cooperation on civil maritime nuclear applications.
It aims to inform international standards and regulatory frameworks for nuclear-powered merchant ships, including potential shipping corridors between the two countries.
“This handbook is a critical tool in efforts to support the adoption of nuclear in the maritime industry,” said Themis Sapsis, the William I. Koch Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, director of the MIT Center for Ocean Engineering, and co-director of the MIT Maritime Consortium.
“The goal is to provide a strong basis for initial safety on key areas that require nuclear and maritime regulatory research and development in the coming years to prepare for nuclear propulsion in the maritime industry.”
MIT says that the handbook will form part of its broader work to advance sustainable ship design, digital optimisation, and emission reduction technologies through the MIT Maritime Consortium, which launched earlier this year with the goal of bringing together academia and industry to support innovation in maritime decarbonisation.
The Nuclear Ship Safety Handbook is available here.
