SEOUL : South Korea has taken a significant step towards the development of nuclear-powered commercial shipping, with a 15,000 TEU containership design featuring molten salt Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) receiving Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
The project is being jointly developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO), and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI). The AiP marks an important validation of the technical feasibility and safety of the innovative vessel concept, paving the way for further design refinement and technology demonstration.
The proposed containership will be powered by two molten salt-based Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), offering enhanced safety, operational efficiency, and redundancy. Unlike conventional nuclear reactors, molten salt reactors combine nuclear fuel with molten salt, allowing the material to solidify and safely encapsulate the fuel in the unlikely event of a system failure, thereby significantly improving inherent safety.
KAERI led the development of the marine molten salt reactor technology, while working closely with Samsung Heavy Industries on the vessel’s hull design, reactor arrangement, major onboard systems, and power control technologies. The dual-reactor configuration is designed to ensure uninterrupted operations while efficiently matching reactor output with the ship’s varying power requirements. The concept also incorporates surplus energy storage to provide additional power during peak demand.
The vessel has been designed as a high-speed 25-knot, 15,000 TEU containership capable of transiting the Panama Canal’s Neopanamax locks. The reactor systems are centrally positioned within the hull to reduce the effects of wave motion and provide enhanced protection in the event of a collision.
By eliminating the need for conventional fuel tanks and exhaust funnels, the nuclear propulsion system also frees up valuable onboard space while improving overall vessel efficiency. Special attention has been given to crew accommodation, incorporating radiation shielding measures without compromising navigational visibility or operational safety.
Following a comprehensive technical review, ABS confirmed the concept meets the requirements for Approval in Principle, recognizing the design’s technical viability and safety. The approval represents a major milestone for South Korea’s K-Moonshot Project, an initiative aimed at advancing next-generation strategic technologies.
Commenting on the achievement, Cho Jin-young, Director of the Advanced Reactor Research Institute, described the AiP as “an important milestone” in the development of marine nuclear technology.
The project partners will now focus on refining the interface between the reactor and ship systems, conducting further safety verification, advancing the engineering design, and demonstrating the core technologies required to bring a nuclear-powered containership closer to commercial reality.
If successfully developed, the vessel could represent a transformative breakthrough in zero-carbon maritime transport, offering long-range, high-capacity container shipping with minimal greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the shipping industry’s transition towards sustainable propulsion technologies.
