Nuclear propulsion for commercial vessels is back in serious conversation, and momentum is building on both sides of the Atlantic. This session offers an international update on small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear propulsion for offshore vessels, with perspectives from the Netherlands and the United States on both engineering and regulatory considerations.
From the Netherlands, speakers will present Nuclear Drive, a public-private flagship initiative of the Dutch maritime sector. The program explores the feasibility of nuclear propulsion and onboard power generation for large offshore vessels, with a specific focus on practical engineering boundaries, safety-by-design principles, and realistic use cases. A representative from one of the program’s industry partners will share firsthand how the work is progressing.
From the U.S., the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) will discuss its work advancing the technical frameworks, classification requirements, and vessel integration concepts needed to bring nuclear to sea. ABS also leads nuclear efforts for the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation, bringing together shipowners, shipyards, SMR developers, and government stakeholders to chart pathways to adoption.
This conversation will focus on practical engineering boundaries, with speakers discussing where nuclear propulsion could make sense, how modern SMR concepts differ from historic nuclear systems, and what the next steps to deployment look like.
Attendees will:
- Learn which vessel profiles could realistically benefit from nuclear propulsion
- Discover how modern SMR concepts differ from legacy nuclear systems, and how developers are adapting them for marine use
- Compare Dutch and U.S. approaches to project development, classification, and safety frameworks
- Understand the regulatory, operational, and societal hurdles to deployment
