The World Nuclear Transport Institute presented a gap analysis of the Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant ships at the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Safety Committee in May 2024.
The Code that was originally written November 19, 1981 for pressurized water-cooled reactors, has not been updated because nuclear propulsion wasn’t used for foreign going merchant vessels.
Nuclear propulsion works by pumping a liquid propellant, usually hydrogen, through a reactor core. Atoms are then split apart inside the core which releases heat through fission. The propellant is heated up and converted to a gas expanded through a nozzle to produce thrust.
The interest to go nuclear aims to help reduce CO2 emissions per transport work by at least 30% by 2030. Updating the Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships will be pivotal as we move towards carbon-free tech in the shipping industry.