Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Maritime eyes nuclear-powered ships – Splash247

Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Maritime has partnered with classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) and South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and KEPCO E&C to develop nuclear-propelled ship designs.

As the shipping industry looks more closely at nuclear as a future marine fuel, the joint development project initiated by the signing of a memorandum of understanding at HD Hyundai Global R&D Center will include bulk carriers and containerships.

As leading companies in the shipbuilding and nuclear industry, HD KSOE and KEPCO E&C, are collaborating on a nuclear propulsion ship to design it with a life cycle cost (LCA) of less than half that of carbon-neutral ships. 

The joint project will see HD KSOE and KEPCO E&C provide designs for future vessels and its reactors while LR will assess rule requirements for safe operation and regulatory compliance models, enabling Zodiac to evaluate ship specifications and voyage considerations around nuclear technology. 

Zodiac has been looking to minimise the environmental impact of its shipping activity which has been reflected in its growing orderbook focused on dual-fuel vessels. The UK-based company operates a diversified fleet of over 130 ships, with more than 20 newbuilds on order, mostly made up of LNG dual-fuel containerships and car carriers.

Stavros Hatzigrigoris, newbuildings director at Zodiac Maritime, said: “The shipping industry is on an exciting but challenging journey as we transition towards a zero-carbon future. There is clearly great potential for nuclear technology to play a key part in achieving this mission, but the industry is only in the early stages of putting nuclear power to the test. We are therefore thrilled to partner with HD KSOE, KEPCO and LR on this JDP and help facilitate the research and development needed to accelerate nuclear power technology in shipping.”

Many nuclear shipping projects are underway across the world. Most recently, China’s Jiangnan Shipyard unveiled a design for a 24,000 teu boxship incorporating molten salt reactor technology. A recent survey carried by the International Chamber of Shipping showed 9% of its C-suite members expect nuclear ships within a decade. 

Sung-Gu Park, president of North East Asia, LR, noted: “Lloyd’s Register believes there is huge opportunity for nuclear technology to support the maritime energy transition and provide long-term low- or zero-carbon fuel supply security.”