Can nuclear power replace conventional fuels to create a greener fleet of superyachts? A new report says nuclear energy could be transformational in reducing marine emissions.
Nuclear-powered superyachts and container ships could soon be plying the world’s oceans. A new report published by Lloyd’s Register, a leader in maritime classification services, suggests nuclear power could help the marine industry meet challenging net zero targets and prove to be as big a step forward as the shift from steam to diesel.
The 42-page report, titled Fuel for Thought: Nuclear for Yachts, says nuclear-powered superyachts could be transformational in terms of reduced emissions, enhanced performance and extended range – with refuelling intervals measured in years rather than days or weeks Lloyds Register has confirmed it is already having discussions with superyacht yards and shipbuilders about the possibility of fitting compact nuclear reactors to their craft.
While the prospect may sound far-fetched, the technology is in fact well proven. Nuclear-powered submarines have been around for decades (the US navy launched its first 70 years ago) and in recent years some government-owned research vessels have launched with atomic power too. Now, the pressure to reduce carbon emissions from all forms of shipping means there is a real push to transfer the technology to the commercial sector as well.
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The reactors in question are very different to the huge nuclear power stations made infamous by the likes of Chernobyl and the more modern pressurised water reactors that will eventually be operational at Hinkley Point and Sizewell in the UK. Instead they are smaller, safer molten-salt reactors that are unpressurised and operate at ambient temperatures. Referred to as SMRs (small modular reactors) or micro-reactors, they are compact enough to fit into the engineroom of a modern superyacht of 50m or more.
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Rather than driving the propellers directly, they give off controlled heat, which in turn can be used to generate electricity to power the yacht’s electric motors.
Lloyds Register recognises that while the potential of nuclear-powered superyachts is very real, there are significant challenges to be addressed, including robust safety measures and strategies for disposing of spent fuel.
“But those issues are not the biggest problems to be overcome,” says global yacht segment director Engel-Jan de Boer. “Public perception and politics are going to be the main obstacles. Will countries allow nuclear-powered yachts into their territorial waters, allow them to berth in their marinas, allow them to be serviced or refuelled?”
The other major obstacle is cost – even a micro-reactor is likely to cost well over €100m at today’s prices. To overcome this and some of the other concerns de Boer is suggesting that the reactor itself would not be purchased outright by the yacht builder or owner but leased to it by a licensed service provider over the expected lifetime of the vessel. If this became more widely adopted, economies of scale would help drive prices down and herald the dawn of a new nuclear era.
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