In the UK, Lloyd’s Register has launched the Maritime Nuclear Consortium to develop the technical, legal, and safety frameworks required for a new class of nuclear-powered commercial ships. The founding members include Rolls-Royce for reactor design, Babcock for ship integration, NorthStandard for insurance, Stephenson Harwood for legal guidance, and Global Nuclear Security Partners for security and safeguards.
The consortium’s first objectives are to secure a Statement of Design Acceptability for an advanced modular reactor, draft a class certification model that merges nuclear and maritime regulation, and issue public guidance to accelerate safe adoption. It will also define insurability pathways and security architecture tailored to maritime use.
The UK, with its naval nuclear legacy and engineering base, is using this initiative to assert leadership before global standards are set elsewhere. Naval nuclear technology is proven, but adapting it for commercial use requires a new rulebook, and the consortium intends to write it. More than 700 nuclear reactors already power military fleets. The question now is who will chart the course for civilian shipping.
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Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
