The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) have received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the conceptual design of a 15,000 TEU container ship powered by molten salt reactor (MSR) technology.
The design was developed with Samsung Heavy Industries and is intended to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using small modular reactor (SMR) technology for commercial shipping.
The vessel incorporates two MSR units to provide propulsion power, alongside an energy storage system (ESS) to manage fluctuations in electricity demand. The design also includes a 25-knot hull optimised for the expanded Panama Canal, while relocating the reactor to the centre of the vessel to reduce the risk of collision damage and wave impacts.
Removing conventional fuel tanks and funnel structures is also expected to increase cargo capacity, the partners said, while the accommodation block has been positioned to protect the crew from radiation while maintaining bridge visibility requirements.
KAERI developed the Marine Molten Salt Reactor (MARINA), while KRISO and Samsung Heavy Industries were responsible for the hull design, machinery arrangement and power operation and control technologies.
“This achievement marks a major milestone for the K-Moonshot project’s mission to develop MSR-based SMR ships,” said Cho Jin-Young, Director of the Advanced Reactor Research Institute at KAERI (translated from Korean).
“Leveraging the world’s best nuclear technology alongside our shipbuilding industry’s competitiveness, this will serve as the foundation to lead the next-generation zero-emission shipping market.”
The partners plan to continue developing the design by defining interfaces between the reactor and the vessel, validating safety under operational conditions, advancing the ship architecture, and testing core technologies.
