The Research Council of Norway, the government agency responsible for funding research, has awarded NOK 20 million ($2 million) to a project developing nuclear propulsion for ships, with the first vessel deployment targeted for 2031/32.
The Marine Nuclear Propulsion System (MarNuPS) Pilot project is led by Emerald Nuclear Norway, the Norwegian arm of Seattle-based nuclear energy company Emerald Nuclear, it said in an announcement on Tuesday.
The project will integrate the company’s 5 MW Gem microreactor with shipboard power, energy storage and control systems.
The first stage, planned for 2027, will establish a test facility near Aalesund, Norway.
The partners will test a full-scale representation of the propulsion system using electric heating instead of nuclear fuel.
Stage 1 is expected to cost around NOK 150 million, with the partners providing additional funding.
Offshore vessel owner Island Offshore plans to be the first shipowner to install the system, with deployment targeted for 2031/32.
Other partners include VARD Group, Vard Electro, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Imperial College London and Maskindynamikk.
