Deployment opportunities for floating nuclear power plants were in focus at a major forum held at IAEA headquarters in Vienna last month.
The 24th edition of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) Dialogue Forum took place in May and brought together 64 experts from 27 countries for in-depth discussions on what is needed to facilitate the deployment of floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs), including how to overcome regulatory and other challenges.
Ship-based nuclear power has been around since the 1950s. But widespread commercial deployment has yet to be realized, with only one FNPP for civil electricity generation currently in operation. Interest in siting nuclear power reactors atop barges and other floating vessels is increasing as countries look to bring clean energy to new sectors, including maritime shipping which accounts for around 5 per cent of global annual oil use and approximately 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, according to the International Energy Agency.
“Maritime applications of nuclear power have considerable potential to make major contributions to the clean energy transition,” said Aline des Cloizeaux, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Power. “Proactive cooperation between the maritime and nuclear sectors is essential to ensure wider deployment of floating NPPs and nuclear power for maritime applications in the near future and beyond.”
24th INPRO Dialogue Forum Held in Vienna
INPRO was established at the turn of the century to support planning and collaboration on advanced reactor development and fuel cycle approaches to promote the long-term sustainability of nuclear power. In addition to organizing forums on topics including small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear innovations, INPRO assistance includes providing decision support tools for nuclear energy planning and strategy efforts and developing publications based on the findings of collaborative projects.
The forum brought together participants from vendors, prospective end-users and regulators, with discussions centred around ways to boost cooperation between the maritime and nuclear sectors. The importance of developing financing models for FNPPs was highlighted, as well as the need for the IAEA to facilitate the development of a guide for countries seeking to deploy FNPPs. The five-day event also featured a virtual tour of Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first commercial floating nuclear power plant.
IAEA and International Maritime Organization Joint Activities
A number of recommendations for joint IAEA-International Maritime Organization (IMO) activities were made, including for joint workshops, symposia and courses to be held and for increased cooperation between maritime and nuclear regulatory bodies. Determining how existing nuclear and maritime regulations, codes and guidance can be applied to FNPPs was identified as essential for success. It was also noted that maritime applications of nuclear power could help contribute to the wider deployment of SMRs and other reactor technologies.
“FNPPs and nuclear propelled ships could be a catalyst to accelerate the deployment of SMRs,” said Federico Puente-Espel, Maritime Nuclear Strategy Leader at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore and Chair of the 24th INPRO Dialogue Forum.
The next edition of the joint ICTP-IAEA INPRO School on Strategic Planning for Sustainable Nuclear Energy will be held in Trieste from 15 to 26 July 2025.The 25th INPRO Dialogue Forum will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 17 to 21 November 2025, with a focus on Nuclear Energy Development in Embarking Countries.
