The world’s largest nuclear-powered container ship design was unveiled on Tuesday at the Marintec China 2023 exhibition in Shanghai, boasting a capacity of 24,000 TEUs, industry media outlets including the Global Times and World Maritime News reported. It marks a revolutionary achievement by the shipyard in the development of near-zero emission ships, the reports said.
Marintec is a premier maritime expo that was held in Shanghai this week.
The vessel will be built by the Jiangnan Shipyard – a historic shipyard in Shanghai which is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corp Ltd.
To meet the demands of energy saving and emissions reduction due to climate change, the Jiangnan Shipyard has been actively exploring ship types for container shipments and solutions in propulsion systems.
The design takes advantage of clean nuclear energy, using a fourth-generation molten salt reactor technology, widely regarded as the most highly advanced on a global scale. The Molten Salt Reactors operate under high temperature and low-pressure conditions, mitigating the risk of a reactor meltdown from the outset.
This development reflects a broader trend in the industry, where multiple shipyards in South Korea are actively exploring the potential of nuclear power for both propulsion and the production of alternative fuels.
Nuclear propulsion is gaining growing attention from the maritime industry in the pursuit of near-zero emission vessels – in line with the ever-stringent 2050 decarbonization ambitions.
The adoption of nuclear propulsion presents a promising avenue for the industry, as it not only aligns with the goals of near-zero emissions but also addresses critical concerns related to fuel prices and availability.
By eliminating the need for frequent refuelling, nuclear-powered ships become less reliant on the fluctuations in fuel prices, as well as the availability of low carbon and zero-carbon fuels. This contributes to economic stability for shipping companies, while at the same time enhancing the overall sustainability of maritime transportation.
The shipbuilders acknowledge that there are still issues around public acceptance regarding the safety of nuclear power. In the event of a breach accident onboard this newly designed ship, they say that the reactor can be swiftly halted to prevent further escalation.
Usually, the only nuclear-powered ships to visit Australia are naval vessels. Due to the nature of Nuclear-Powered Vessel (NPV) propulsion plants, special procedures have been adopted to ensure that the safety of the public and environment is maintained during visits by such vessels.
An interdepartmental government group, known as the Visiting Ships Panel (Nuclear), oversees these visits. This standing committee has established procedures which include conditions of entry to the port, radiation monitoring, and contingency arrangements in the unlikely event of an incident resulting in the release of radiation to the environment.
Australia’s radiation monitoring program is designed to detect any radioactivity release to our ports, the surrounding environment, and any increase in external radiation levels above those due to natural background radiation.
Read our recent related article: Emissions Surcharges to be Applied by Carriers.
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