Driven by urgent global climate goals and gaps in alternative fuel availability, the maritime industry is reimagining the role of nuclear power.
These include new initiatives spanning cargo transport, offshore energy generation, and even land-focused electricity supply.
Goal: Safer, more efficient and lower-emission operations
Leading the charge is a collaboration between the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and two divisions of South Korea’s HD Hyundai conglomerate, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.
The team is developing a conceptual nuclear-electric system for 16,000-TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) container ships, integrating atomic power with advanced propulsion architectures to deliver scalable designs for ultra-large vessels.
“By combining HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding expertise with ABS’ deep engineering experience in maritime safety, we aim to evaluate technologies that can support safer, more efficient and lower-emission operations for the next generation of propulsion solutions,” said Matthew Mueller, ABS vice president of North Pacific Business Development.
He emphasised that the partnership represents an important step in exploring the potential of a nuclear-powered electric propulsion system for container vessels.
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Rising pressure spurs focus on green maritime power solutions
Meanwhile, HD Hyundai asserted that the initiative mirrors rising demand for carbon-free propulsion systems.
It noted that as global decarbonisation goals gain traction, shipowners are under mounting pressure to adopt innovative technologies that meet environmental standards and drive long-term sustainability.
“We will expand our R&D efforts to strengthen our technological competitiveness in nuclear-linked electric propulsion,” Kwon Byung-hun, head of the Electrification Centre at HD KSOE, said.
Extending momentum from prior breakthroughs
The project joins a string of recent nuclear maritime milestones for South Korean firms and ABS.
In September 2025, Samsung Heavy Industries and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute earned the world’s first Approval in Principle from ABS and Liberia for a nuclear-driven LNG carrier using a molten salt reactor rated at 100 megawatts.
Earlier that year, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD KSOE received similar preliminary validation for a floating small modular reactor (SMR) platform intended to deliver power to ports, coastal grids, and industrial sites.
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Researchers are also exploring novel applications.
ABS and Hebert Engineering have outlined plans for nuclear-powered barges with SMRs that would supply carbon-free electricity to energy-intensive facilities like artificial intelligence data centres, leveraging seawater for thermal management.
Industry leaders frame nuclear as a long-term answer to the shipping’s climate challenge, as alternatives like green hydrogen and ammonia grapple with supply, cost and infrastructure gaps.
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Elan Castanares 
Newsjustnews writers 
Shameeka Voyiya