ABS has issued an approval in principle (AIP) for the integration of a nuclear reactor into a cargo vessel propulsion system developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), and Capital Maritime Group.
The design utilises a special synthetic fluid to carry heat from the reactor core, focusing on micro-scale thermal outputs of 10 to 20 megawatts. ABS says that the near-atmospheric operating pressure of the MIT design can allow for thinner, lighter reactor vessels, supporting modular construction and easier transport.
This marks the first AIP to be granted through the MIT Maritime Consortium, where ABS, HD KSOE, and Capital Maritime Group serve as founding members.
The consortium brings together academia and industry with the aim of advancing technologies with the potential to reshape the maritime sector, including alternative fuels, new nuclear technologies, data-driven operational strategies, autonomy, cybersecurity, and onboard manufacturing.
“It is our responsibility as an industry to explore every potential solution, including those that challenge conventional thinking. Nuclear propulsion is one such frontier,” said Stergios Stergiou, Chief Sustainability Officer at Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp.
“Through our membership in the MIT Maritime Consortium alongside ABS and HD KSOE, we are committed to ensuring that any pathway to net zero is grounded in the non-negotiable highest standards of crew safety, vessel integrity, and environmental protection. This AIP is the first step in that process.”
