Fourth-generation nuclear reactors may power maritime shipping vessels of the future.Â
Bringing that vision to reality could start with a comprehensive study that includes Danish shipping giant Maersk, which is listed by data collector Statista as operating the second-largest fleet in the world.
The analysis is being completed with help from maritime firm Lloyd's Register and nuclear technologies company Core Power, both based in the United Kingdom. It will focus on rolling out the nuclear vessels in Europe, according to a Reuters report.
"The initiation of this joint study marks the beginning of an exciting journey toward unlocking the potential of nuclear power in the maritime industry, paving the way for emissions-free operations, more agile service networks, and greater efficiency through the supply chain," Lloyd's CEO Nick Brown said in a story on the topic by Interesting Engineering (IE).
Safety, regulations, insurability, and feasibility of deploying the latest nuclear tech will be examined.
There is precedent for reactors on the water. Nuclear engines have been powering submarines and other military ships since at least the 1950s, as noted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The heat from the reactions creates steam, which is used to power the crafts.
Advancements in small, portable reactors that can provide energy to remote places have already been marked by companies, including Westinghouse, with plans to deploy them within the decade.
But sending out a greater number of nuclear-powered ships to our valuable oceans can be concerning, as noted by a study participant.
"Nuclear power holds a number of challenges related to for example safety, waste management, and regulatory acceptance across regions, and so far, the downsides have clearly outweighed the benefits of the technology," Maersk fleet technology head Ole Graa Jakobsen said in a statement published by Reuters.
Specifically, nuclear waste and fallout from rare, yet serious meltdowns are troublesome and can linger for decades or longer.
But Core Power CEO Mikal Bøe remains bullish on the science's importance.
"There's no net-zero without nuclear," he said in the IE report.
It is widely reported by Reuters and others that the shipping industry produces about 3% of the globe's heat-trapping air pollution while transporting about 90% of crucial goods worldwide.
Researchers around the planet are working to make fusion reactions sustainable as a safer alternative. Contrary to common fission tech, fusion combines elements to make energy sans long-lasting radioactive waste and meltdown risks. Stabilizing the reactions in a way that produces more energy than is required to run the process has been the hurdle so far. But progress is being made.
Other forms of renewable energy are also being used to help transform our shipping and transportation industries. New versions of sail technology are already being utilized by shippers.
One way to help at home is to recycle and reuse everyday items, including clothes. You can save or make money by mending your old stuff or by selling and upcycling it. This helps to reduce the amount of new goods that need to be shipped in the first place.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see where the nuclear study leads.
"If these challenges can be addressed by development of the new so-called fourth-generation reactor designs, nuclear power could potentially mature into another possible decarbonization pathway for the logistics industry 10 to 15 years in the future," Jakobsen said in the Reuters story.
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