Nuclear-Powered Ships on Distant Course to Net-Zero Horizon, DNV Finds
Growing environmental pressures are reviving interest in nuclear propulsion as a potential long-term route to decarbonize shipping, DNV said in a new paper, despite there being no civilian nuclear-powered vessels built for more than four decades.
DNV’s latest report, Maritime nuclear propulsion: Technologies, commercial viability, and regulatory challenges for nuclear-powered vessels, highlights how maritime nuclear technologies differ from land-based reactors, and emphasizes the need to address technological, regulatory, and commercial factors in the effort to understand the potential role of nuclear propulsion.
The paper addresses the main elements of the future maritime fuel cycle - including fuel management, waste handling, vessel construction and operation, and oversight of nuclear supply chains - and presents the reactor technologies most likely to be adopted by shipowners.
Advances in automation, digitalization, and modular design are identified as critical enablers of safety, security, and non-proliferation of future nuclear fuels and reactors, thereby paving the way for public acceptance.
The white paper stresses the need for a predictable and harmonized regulatory framework at both national and international levels to enable safe nuclear propulsion at sea. Regulators such as the IMO and IAEA, along with flag states, national authorities, and classification societies, must play a coordinated role and the report outlines likely regulatory roadmaps for all relevant actors, as the industry develops.
The success of any future industry will also hinge on robust, cost-effective business models, according to DNV’s report, which outlines how mass production, standardization, and modularization can strengthen the business case for nuclear-powered ships.
This is further underscored by a case study that shows what cost levels marine nuclear reactors will need to reach for nuclear propulsion to become viable for the merchant fleet.
"Nuclear energy has the potential to play a role in the maritime energy transition. However, much work still needs to be done to overcome technical, regulatory, and societal challenges, including public perception. This will require coordinated global action, technological innovation, and closely aligned regulatory frameworks," said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, Maritime CEO at DNV.
"For nuclear propulsion to become commercially viable in shipping, the business case must account for the full lifecycle costs, including fuel supply, reactor maintenance, and waste management.
"Modular and standardized reactor designs can significantly reduce capital and operational expenditures, while robust regulatory frameworks and predictable supply chains are essential for investor confidence and long-term competitiveness," added Ole Christen Reistad, Senior Principal Researcher at DNV and lead author of the paper.