With the amendments to the MARPOL Annex VI regulations to control NOx and SOx emissions, fuel prices will increase considerably by 2020. Coupled with depleting fossil fuel reserves and owners’ perceptions on their environmental impact, fossil fuel alternatives are being actively sought.  The IMarEST reports that nuclear power is the only emissions free energy which can replace fossil fuels entirely[1].

Two critical drawbacks for a nuclear powered ship are accidents (e.g. collision, grounding…) and route restrictions. The goal of the research underway is to ensure that a concept nuclear merchant ship can sustain an accident without catastrophic consequences as well as operate freely at sea without intervention from port states due to the mode of propulsion.

The paper will present the work to date on the concept analysis and how the issue with route restrictions is being addressed by designing a modular vessel consisting of a propulsion module and a cargo module which can decouple outside of territorial waters.  A service factor analysis with hydroelasticity models will provide the long term bending moments and the modular coupling concept assessment in open waters for unrestricted service.  Accidents will be addressed using risk based design focussing on grounding and collisions in restricted waters using probabilistic models.

[1] Jenkins, V., 2011, Risk and Classification Rules for Nuclear Powered Ships. Ship Power Forum. London: IMarEST