Floating Nuclear Power Plant Barge Planned in Indonesia

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday December 14, 2022

Classification society Bureau Veritas and nuclear power technology firm ThorCon are working together to develop a floating nuclear power plant barge for use in Indonesia.

The barge will hold a 500 MW power plant using a molten salt fission reactor, Bureau Veritas said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

Bureau Veritas is working with ThorCon on the technology qualification process for the reactor and the barge design.

"A key area of work will be to identify the applicable standards, codes and Class Rules, potential gaps with those currently available and the development if needed of new guidance notes and rules," the company said in the statement.

"The scope of the agreement also includes the potential development and deployment phases once the Technology Qualification is completed.

"At this stage, it is anticipated that the Technology Qualification process will take a minimum of three years and if successful, the deployment phase would require an additional two years."

The development of the barge could be a key test of the potential for nuclear power to take a greater role in the marine energy mix. Nuclear power has the potential to deliver carbon-free energy for the shipping industry, but the regulatory hurdles to clear before ports will accept nuclear-powered commercial ships could prove daunting.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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