A.P. Moller-Maersk is participating in industry studies examining what would be required for nuclear-powered container ships to make routine port calls, with the work centered on regulation, safety, security and port operations rather than an immediate vessel-ordering program.
The Danish carrier — the world’s second-largest by capacity — (OTC: AMKBY) joined Lloyd’s Register and reactor developer Core Power in 2024 to assess the regulatory feasibility of operating a containership using a fourth-generation nuclear reactor at a European port. The study focused on a feeder vessel, a smaller containership used to connect regional ports with major hub terminals.
A subsequent case study involving the Port of Rotterdam evaluated calls by a hypothetical 3,600-TEU Maersk feeder vessel. The participants concluded that the core obstacles were largely regulatory and governance-related rather than purely technical, including nuclear-specific port safety procedures, emergency preparedness, physical protection, liability, insurance and coordination between maritime and nuclear authorities.
Maersk has said the work should not be interpreted as a commitment to deploy nuclear propulsion. Instead, the carrier is assessing nuclear energy as one potential long-term zero-emission pathway while identifying the safety, waste-management, legal and public-acceptance issues that would need resolution before commercial operations could be considered.
The inquiry has since expanded beyond Europe. In September, Maersk and Lloyd’s Register announced a conceptual UK-U.S. “Pink Corridor” project involving the ports of Felixstowe and Charleston, S.C. The initiative is intended to study safeguards and security requirements for a potential transatlantic nuclear-powered containership service.
The first phase will consider ship security, nuclear safeguards, cyber resilience, emergency response, insurance and the alignment of maritime and nuclear regulations. Its findings could define a later phase examining engineering, legal, legislative and safeguards requirements in greater detail.
State agency SC Ports said the work gives the hub an opportunity to study a potential nuclear-powered freight corridor, while Lloyd’s Register said the project is intended to establish the practical requirements and gaps that would need to be addressed before such a service could be considered.
The Charleston project arrives amid wider U.S. government interest in commercial maritime nuclear power. The U.S. Department of Energy and classification society ABS signed an agreement to examine nuclear-powered vessels, floating nuclear power applications, and the port, shipyard and industrial infrastructure needed to support them.
Separately, the U.S. Maritime Administration and Core Power have entered a cooperation agreement on maritime-nuclear frameworks for a prospective U.S.-flag fleet. Core Power has said the framework is aimed at accelerating the commercial, industrial and regulatory work needed for potential nuclear-powered merchant vessels.
The Port of Long Beach and Marad recently signed a first-of-its-kind partnership to develop small modular reactors for commercial vessels, port operations and other maritime uses. Bluecore Energy is developing a 10-megawatt floating reactor concept at the port, though no operating reactor or regulatory approval is in place.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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