HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the shipbuilding arm of HD Hyundai, has unveiled its prototype for a container carrier powered by a small modular reactor, according to The Korea Herald.
The prototype was revealed Wednesday at the New Nuclear for Maritime Summit in Houston, where a diverse group of stakeholders, including business leaders, experts and naval figures, gathered to discuss the future of offshore nuclear technology.
The new vessel is based on the company’s basic design of a 15,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit class vessel powered by SMR. This design previously received approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping, validating that the vessel’s critical components meet essential standards.
“Nuclear-powered vessels can be a game-changer in the current shipbuilding market, where carbon neutrality is emerging,” said Patrick Ryan, chief technology officer of ABS.
The shipbuilding giant’s new prototype represents a significant step toward achieving a carbon-neutral vessel, incorporating safety design concepts and real operational equipment into the basic design.
According to the design, a double-tank system with stainless steel and light water will prevent radiation from escaping.
While working on strengthening safety designs at its research center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, HD KSOE stated that it is on track to complete its marine nuclear business model by 2030.
“HD KSOE is strengthening cooperation not only with major classification societies but also with international regulatory bodies to establish the necessary international regulations for the commercialization of nuclear-powered vessels,” said Park Sang-min, head of the shipbuilder’s carbon-neutral energy research division.