International leaders from the nuclear, maritime, regulatory, and financial sectors gathered at Trinity House in London on September 9. Image Credit: NEMO

• International leaders from the nuclear, maritime, regulatory, and financial sectors gather at Trinity House in London for the inaugural conference hosted by NEMO and the Nuclear Institute
• Discussions focused on an international regulatory framework, building public confidence in safety, and enabling commercial deployment
• Conference followed last month's Washington, D.C. launch of the IAEA's ATLAS initiative on nuclear technology at sea
• NEMO says nuclear energy could give shipping, responsible for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a zero-carbon power source

International leaders from the nuclear, maritime, regulatory, and financial sectors gathered at Trinity House in London on September 9 for the inaugural conference jointly hosted by the Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization (NEMO) and the Nuclear Institute.

The conference examined the international framework needed to enable safe, secure, and commercially viable deployment of nuclear energy at sea, with discussions focused on three priorities: an effective international regulatory framework, demonstrating safety and building public confidence, and enabling commercial deployment.

The event followed last month's launch in Washington, D.C. of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) ATLAS initiative, short for Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea.

"Our inaugural conference demonstrated that the conversation about commercial nuclear shipping has moved decisively from whether it can happen to how we make it happen," said Virginia Crosbie, chief executive officer of NEMO, in the media release.

Crosbie said the technology, capital, and professional expertise needed for deployment already exist, and that what is now required is a coherent international regulatory, legal, insurance, and commercial framework allowing nuclear-powered commercial vessels to operate safely worldwide.

Maritime nuclear applications include propulsion for commercial vessels, floating nuclear power plants, and nuclear energy for offshore industrial applications, and NEMO says the technology could give international shipping a dependable, zero-carbon source of power.

"The launch of ATLAS reflects growing international interest in the safe and responsible use of atomic technologies at sea," said Alexis Trahan of the IAEA.

NEMO holds consultative status with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and is contributing industry expertise to the IAEA's ATLAS initiative, according to the release.