Reuters: Maritime industry explores nuclear power for ships as technology opens up

[OKIsItJustMe]

Maritime industry explores nuclear power for ships as technology opens up

By Jonathan Saul
September 19, 202311:37 AM EDT

Summary

• Pressure growing on shipping sector to decarbonise faster
• Nuclear fuel options being seen as cleanest solution
• Any nuclear solutions seen at least 10 years away

LONDON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The maritime industry is exploring whether nuclear fuel can be used to power commercial ships as advancements in technology open up such options, industry officials said.

Nevertheless, any possible nuclear fuel solutions for ships are at least 10 years away they added.

Shipping accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and the industry is under pressure from investors and environmentalists to find cleaner fuel solutions, which include ammonia, methanol and [link:wind|wind].

Nuclear energy has been used in the past to power military submarines and icebreakers, although its use by merchant ships has been constrained partly by the cost, but also due wariness by insurers of providing cover for ships going into commercial ports without more understanding of the risks involved.

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[TheBlackAdder]

1. Ralatives worked at the NY Shipyard in Camden NJ. They worked on the Savannah.

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NS Savannah was the first nuclear-powered merchant ship. She was built in the late 1950s at a cost of $46.9 million (including a $28.3 million nuclear reactor and fuel core) and launched on July 21, 1959. She was funded by United States government agencies. Savannah was a demonstration project for the potential use of nuclear energy.[6] The ship was named after SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic ocean. She was in service between 1962 and 1972 as one of only four nuclear-powered cargo ships ever built.[1] (The Soviet ice-breaker Lenin, launched on December 5, 1957, was the first nuclear-powered civilian ship.)

Savannah was deactivated in 1971 and after several moves was moored at Pier 13 of the Canton Marine Terminal in Baltimore, Maryland in 2008.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NS_Savannah#Reactor

I have the tie clasp of that ship from when it was christened.

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[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Part of "Atoms for Peace"

That tie clasp is one of those collectibles I don’t don’t really understand.

To me, it’s a fascinating piece, and (I would guess) rare and should be “worth” a fair aount, but, since people generally aren’t familiar with the NS Savannah, a Star Wars Action Figure would probably sell for a great deal more…