SPECIAL REPORT | BULLS OF THE SEA Bulls of the sea
A breakthrough for nuclear-powered shipping and other maritime applications grows closer by the day. At a bullish meeting organised by Lloyd’s Register in London recently experts agreed it’s not a matter of when it will happen, but who will do it first.
By Jeremy Gordon
THE FUEL FOR THOUGHT CONFERENCE took place at Lloyd’s Register’s (LR’s) building where the company began its role as a classification and compliance authority. Speakers on stage insisted that neither nuclear technology or its regulation will be a barrier to nuclear powered shipping or floating nuclear power plants, but that success depends on setting up a functional legal framework, such as a treaty, for nuclear vessels to move between national jurisdictions. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General
Rafael Mariano Grossi spoke via a recorded message: “We are developing the initiative, Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS).” Under this, IAEA member states are addressing legal frameworks, safeguards, and roadmaps to real deployment. Grossi said, “ATLAS will promote technology licensing efficiency and inform necessary adjustments in regulatory practices.” However, given that IAEA must reach consensus among its 180 members, its work is necessarily slow. “Expect outcomes in two years,” said Grossi. And it remains to be seen what ATLAS’s outcome will be. Rather than a treaty, ATLAS is more likely to result in guidelines with a similar status to IAEA Safety Standards. While these are useful for new countries and make a comprehensive foundation to set up national regulation, most countries have gone further and tailored regulation to their own specific applications and culture. At the same time, no established countries want to reduce their regulation to that common denominator, and that would include the countries likely to be designing and building nuclear vessels. In parallel is development of new codes by the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which needs to replace the Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships which
was adopted by the IMO Assembly in 1981. It is the eighth chapter of the International Convention for The Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Riccardo Battista of IMO explained that IMO’s members
have already identified a need, decided on a way forward and have approved a draft code. This is at a feedback stage expected to take two to three years. The first round of feedback is due as NEI goes to press. Nick Brown, CEO of LR said, “Once approved, this will provide an agnostic, updated set of rules for nuclear applications at sea.”
If not a treaty, then what? If a treaty is unlikely to emerge from international efforts, what alternative could industry drive forward in parallel? The next best thing would be bilateral agreements to establish a ‘corridor’ for nuclear vessels between two port countries, or trilaterals involving three countries if the vessel is made by third nation. To illustrate the complexity, nuclear vessels are likely to be designed, owned, financed and operated by firms from different countries, and further countries could get involved when vessels in trouble need to dock in a port of refuge. However, it is hoped that if a small number of like- minded countries get started with bilaterals and trilaterals, others will join and the network would grow. When such recognition of approval, liability and insurance becomes commonplace, “We will have additional signatories which could organically grow into treaties.” said Jez Sims of LR. Russia and China spring to mind as two countries with
the technology, knowhow and sphere of influence to kick off this process. Enter the US and UK with ambitions to take the lead from the start.
Above: Core Power is working with Terrestrial on a molten chloride fast reactor for maritime applications 26 | October 2025 |
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