- Aronnax
- Nuclear Propulsion
Why Nuclear
Why Nuclear is a Relevant Solution for Ships NOW?
4 civil nuclear cargo ships were built in the 1960-1970s, they failed to prove affordable & reliable. Time has changed.
Modern container ships are 20 times bigger than US nuclear ship Savannah, which favours economy of scale for the nuclear option versus marine fuel oil.
Bunker fuel cost’s increased on average in 21st century when the fuel remained extremely cheap in 20th century. Without even considering CO2 emissions.
Due to emission restrictions & fuel costs, container ships have significantly reduced their average speed from 23 knots to 16 knots. Nuclear powered ships would not be limited in this matter.
Of course, there’s now a massive incentive to develop low carbon alternatives for maritime transportation.
Generating the required energy onboard from the most dense fuel ever imaginable (nuclear fuel rods) proves the most efficient energy usage since it reduces losses from “earth to sea”.
