Iran Contemplates Nuclear-Powered Merchant Ships

 A civilian nuclear-powered vessel, Russian barge carrier Sevmorput.

Iranian lawmakers have prepared a draft bill asking its government to design nuclear-powered merchant ships, Iran's FARS News Agency (FNA) reported Monday.

MP Mohammad Bayatian was quoted as saying that sanctions against Iran currently being imposed by Western governments are forcing Iran to use different fuel for its oil tankers and other large vessels, to avert the need to refuel during long voyages.

Bayatian said the bill has been approved by a parliamentary committee and will be debated in the house next week, adding that because of the sanctions "the bill must be enacted."

"A bill has come on the agenda of the parliament's Industries Commission which requires the mines and industries sector of the government to seriously focus on new technological plans for oil tankers and warships' engines," Mehrdad Bazrpash was quoted as telling the FNA.

Effective June 28, 2012 financial institutions in a country that has not been granted a waiver will be subject to U.S. sanctions if they knowingly settle trades with the Central Bank of Iran for Iranian oil or petroleum products.

There are 20 countries with such waivers including Singapore, China and Britain.

European sanctions in effect since July 1, 2012 mean ship owners found carrying Iranian product, either as fuel or cargoes, will lose their P&I Cover from European clubs which account for approximately 90% of the world's shipping tonnage.

Iran is using and insuring its own tankers to deliver oil to its customers, while some nations such as India have arranged alternative non-european cover for its vessels in order to carry Iranian oil.

Iran says its programme of uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes, while Western governments have said they believe the Islamic Republic is aiming to build a nuclear weapon.

Experts have said that uranium to make fuel for a nuclear-powered merchant ship does not need to be enriched to a level which could also be used to make a nuclear weapon, but the inherent technological and political complexities of building such a vessel has meant that historically there have been very few civilian nuclear-powered ships.

Those that have been made include the Russian barge carrier Sevmorput, the US-built NS Savannah, Japan's Mutsu, and the German built Otto Hahn.