ABS and US energy department sign maritime nuclear technology agreement

Classification society ABS and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have signed a memorandum of understanding to examine nuclear technology for commercial shipping, Ship & Bunker reported. The agreement covers both vessels and floating nuclear power plants, alongside the ports and shipyards needed to support their use. It comes amid wider US efforts to develop maritime applications for nuclear technology.

According to an ABS press release issued on Monday and cited by Ship & Bunker, the partners will undertake feasibility studies into floating nuclear power and nuclear transportation corridors. Their work will also examine how the US shipbuilding industry could be developed to support the construction and operation of nuclear-powered vessels. The scope therefore extends beyond propulsion technology to the industrial and shore-side facilities associated with its use.

ABS will help manage the Maritime Nuclear Applications Group under the arrangement. The classification society will contribute support across technical, regulatory, economic and policy matters. DOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish said advanced nuclear technology could reshape commercial maritime activity and create new markets for American innovation, outlining the department’s ambitions for its potential role in the sector.

Ship & Bunker placed the agreement within a growing US focus on commercial maritime nuclear applications. Although nuclear propulsion has an established history in naval vessels, interest in its commercial use is increasing. Earlier this year, the US Coast Guard signed a separate memorandum of understanding with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to support nuclear applications in shipping.

The report also highlighted activity by UK-based maritime nuclear technology developer Core Power, which aims to build its first US-flagged nuclear-powered vessel from 2028. In a separate initiative, the company has partnered with the Port of Corpus Christi Authority to assess the Texas port’s readiness for nuclear technology. That study addresses port preparedness, one of the infrastructure areas also covered by the new ABS-DOE agreement.