MARITIME NUCLEAR | POLICY & REGULATION
densely populated areas where the availability of a suitable land resource is scarce. These different maritime use cases have different
regulatory frameworks and authorities depending on their area of operation and purpose. Maritime and nuclear engineering teams are refining their designs, but are unsure what is needed without the appropriate regulatory frameworks to enable the development of their technical solutions. Therefore, teams have turned their attention to national and international regulatory development for nuclear ships and offshore power units. Offshore and coastal units may be simpler to regulate,
as they operate within the jurisdiction of a single nation. However, the international nature of merchant vessels, including some mobile offshore units, may make it a more challenging endeavour due to the involvement of multiple jurisdictions.
International maritime regulations While the IAEA operates as a UN agency for the safe use of nuclear technologies, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) similarly operates for the international safety of merchant ships. Both organisations serve as platforms for member states to share information and develop standardised approaches applicable to their respective subjects. For the international nature of shipping, the IMO also provides harmonised mechanisms to regulate ships operating between the jurisdictions of member states without being subject to numerous national design or operational requirements. During the ‘Atoms for Peace’ effort starting in the 1950s, the US nuclear ship (NS) Savannah was launched to publicise the peaceful use of nuclear energy. This was followed by Germany’s Otto Hahn and Japan’s Mutsu nuclear ships, with various degrees of public success. The IMO supported the operation of these vessels and the anticipated uptake of more nuclear ships by developing a chapter within the International Convention for the Safety for Life at Sea (SOLAS) specific to Nuclear Ships (Chapter VIII). A more detailed Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships (Resolution A.491(XII)) was adopted by the IMO in 1981, specific to the use of pressurised water reactors (PWRs) for merchant ship propulsion. However, by that time, no new merchant (cargo or passenger) ships were on order except Arctic nuclear icebreakers. Over the decades that followed, these IMO publications
have not been updated, despite the fact that regulations and technologies have matured in both the maritime and nuclear fields. An update to modernise international regulations for nuclear maritime applications, however, will likely require collaboration between the IMO and the IAEA in unfamiliar areas. The IMO recognises the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (SSR-6) in the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High- Level Radioactive Wastes on Board Ships (INF Code), but this cargo safety code does not apply to transportable reactors. For the use of nuclear reactors on merchant ships or for commercial offshore industries, further collaboration between the IMO and the IAEA is expected.
Ongoing developments This effort has begun with the IAEA-led Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS)
project announced in 2024 to support the development of a framework for licensing nuclear applications in the maritime environment, including both ships and offshore power applications. ATLAS plans to launch later in 2025. Within the IMO, proposals have been submitted and
discussed at the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) 110 meeting in June 2025 to initiate the update process for Resolution A.491(XII). This may include modernising the content according to new codes and standards of ship safety and advanced nuclear technologies, and expanding its applicability to non-PWR reactor types. A gap analysis was submitted by the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) to update A.491(XII) in 2024. WNTI is a non- governmental organisation (NGO) with consultancy status at the IMO and IAEA, focusing on the safe transportation of nuclear materials. Additionally, a new industry group was formed in 2024, called the Nuclear Energy Maritime Organisation (NEMO), which intends to serve a similar consultative role at the IMO and IAEA, focusing on the safe use of nuclear energy at sea. WNTI, NEMO, and the active member states at the IMO can influence the update of obsolete codes as well as support the development of new international codes, guidance, or standards for the design and operation of maritime assets with nuclear power. Lloyd’s Register is supporting the technical and regulatory development of maritime nuclear, working to interface nuclear and maritime risk frameworks and design considerations. The Lloyd’s Register nuclear team works within NEMO, ATLAS, and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) to promote regulatory development in these areas and is working to issue guidance for first-mover projects based on a framework being developed in collaboration with industry stakeholders to map out successful projects that require both nuclear and maritime regulatory engagement. Design codes and standards are not the only regulatory
effort for nuclear maritime applications to scale up. International issues related to insurance, security, safeguards, decontamination and decommissioning, operator training and certification, emergency response, and public perception are also under discussion by these industry and regulatory groups so that they can be addressed in the future. ■
To read more about nuclear energy for shipping see the resources available at Lloyd’s Register:
https://www.lr.org/nuclear
www.neimagazine.com | July 2025 | 33
Above: Lloyd’s Register is supporting the technical and regulatory development of maritime nuclear, working to interface nuclear and maritime risk frameworks and design considerations
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