Seatrade-Maritime: US energy port prepares ground for nuclear maritime future

Published by Seatrade-Maritime

Ship-based nuclear power company Core Power has signed a memorandum of collaboration with Texas’ Port of Corpus Christi Authority (PCCA) for a maritime nuclear readiness study.

The agreement sets a framework for the study at the Port of Corpus Christi, the leading US port in petroleum exports and a leader in LNG exports.

Core Power said the study will examine how the gateway could prepare for two different future roles related to nuclear power in shipping. Firstly, the partners will assess the port’s readiness to become a location for a floating nuclear power plant providing power to the port and regions beyond. Secondly, the port’s readiness for calls by nuclear-powered commercial ships will be studied.

The two roles cover the two main expected use cases for small modular reactors (SMRs) in the maritime field: as part of a nuclear power plant providing electrical power and potentially heat to the grid, and as a source of power for propulsion onboard large commercial ships.

The port will benefit from a greater understanding of the infrastructure and other requirements of a nuclear shipping future, as well as the potential to support growth and energy resilience, the partners said.

Core Power said the study will help it to develop the practical requirements of both SMR product pathways.

Under the floating nuclear power plant energy track, “the parties intend to assess the site-specific technical, environmental, regulatory, operational and commercial requirements for the potential deployment of an FNPP. The work is expected to consider marine and site conditions, water use and discharge, grid connection, potential customer and offtake requirements, candidate locations and mooring, safety and security, permitting, operations, maintenance and long-term service support.”

For the ship-based propulsion track, “the parties intend to examine what would be required for the Port to receive nuclear-powered commercial ships safely and routinely in the future. The work is expected to consider a reference vessel and power-system envelope, transit and berthing, port-stay safety and security, cargo interfaces, emergency preparedness, liability, classification and the roles of US and international maritime and nuclear authorities.”

The partners described the study as a preliminary fact-finding exercise that will not select a site, reactor technology or vendor, begin any licensing process or commit investment.

A separate memorandum of cooperation was signed by the Port of Corpus Christi and the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on “the potential integration of SMR technologies, resilient port microgrids, shoreside power architecture, infrastructure capable of supporting emerging vessel propulsion concepts, and related workforce development opportunities.”

Core Power said the agreement between the port and MARAD will examine technical, regulatory, and operational requirements for seaports around the deployment of floating nuclear power plants and the provision of safe harbour to nuclear-powered ships.

“This agreement with the Port of Corpus Christi demonstrates that the leading energy port in the nation understands the significance of this technology,” said Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel. “SMR integration has the potential to drive down costs and guarantee that our critical Gulf Coast maritime supply chains remain resilient against any contingency, from extreme weather to power grid disruptions, while training the next generation of high-skilled American mariners.”

On the Core Power tie up, Jeff Pollack, chief strategy and innovation officer of the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, said: “This collaboration will help us understand what would be required technically, environmentally, operationally and commercially for floating nuclear power plants and future calls by nuclear-powered commercial ships to be considered in the real-world context of the Port. It is about gathering evidence and keeping our region competitive for future investment, industry, and high-value jobs.”

Mikal Bøe, CEO of Core Power, said: “For floating nuclear power plants, we need to understand sites, grids, customers, operating models and long-term service arrangements. For nuclear-powered commercial ships, we need safe and predictable pathways for transit, berthing and routine port operations.

“Port Corpus Christi gives us a real operating environment in which to assess both pathways separately, but as parts of the complete industrial and regulatory system needed to make maritime nuclear commercially deployable.”