Almost 10% of Shipping Execs Expect Nuclear Propulsion Within a Decade

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday May 17, 2023

A growing minority of maritime leaders now see nuclear propulsion coming into view within the next decade, according to a recent survey.

About 9% of the 130 C-suite decision-makers in shipping surveyed for the ICS Maritime Barometer Report 2022-23, published this week, said nuclear commercial vessels would be viable within the next decade.

"Nuclear has also seen more positive attention than in 2021, with respondents seeing use in the mid and even short term – although there continues to be significant resistance with a large set of respondents believing that they would never use this power source," the organisation said in the report.

In a recent interview with Ship & Bunker, Core Power CEO Mikal Bøe said he expected to see commercial production of marine nuclear reactors ramping up from 2035.

Bøe also suggested nuclear power could deliver marine energy in fuel oil-equivalent terms at about $500/mt, taken over the full lifetime of a ship.