Maritime nuclear on the agenda at the IAEA General Conference

CORE POWER joined government, regulatory and industry representatives in Vienna this week for the 70th IAEA General Conference.

Across the opening days of the conference, maritime nuclear featured prominently in discussions on the future of nuclear energy, regulatory reform and the international frameworks needed to support new applications.

The timing was particularly significant following the launch of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s ATLAS initiative in August. Supported at launch by 28 Member States, ATLAS provides an international platform for addressing the legal, regulatory and technical requirements associated with floating nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered ships.

CORE POWER also contributed directly to the policy discussion. At the UK Ministerial Roundtable, CORE POWER welcomed the opportunity to discuss maritime nuclear with Energy Minister Michael Shanks MP and how coordinated engagement across government, regulators and industry could help realize the potential strategic, energy and economic opportunities of floating nuclear power and nuclear propulsion for the UK. 

A recurring theme across the conference was the need to move from growing interest in maritime nuclear toward practical delivery. That means looking beyond nuclear licensing alone. Deployment at sea will require coordination across nuclear and maritime safety, safeguards, security, classification, liability, ports, environmental permitting, the fuel cycle and decommissioning.

Regulatory reform was another major theme. During a UK-led side event, regulators discussed earlier engagement with industry, more proportionate evidence requirements and risk-informed approaches to delivery, while maintaining existing safety standards. Maritime nuclear was specifically highlighted as an area developing quickly and likely to require increasing regulatory attention.

The overall message from Vienna was one of growing momentum. Maritime nuclear is moving further into mainstream international nuclear policy, and initiatives such as ATLAS are creating a clearer structure for the work ahead.

For CORE POWER, the focus now remains on supporting the development of practical, internationally aligned frameworks that can enable safe, secure and commercially viable nuclear energy at sea.

In case you missed it: CORE POWER launches assessment of BWXT’s mPower SMR for floating nuclear power plants

In June, CORE POWER and BWXT announced that they have launched a feasibility study to assess the technical, regulatory and commercial pathways for potentially integrating BWXT’s mPowerTM Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology into floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) that are built in and deployed from shipyards.

The study will leverage CORE POWER’s expertise in marine systems integration, shipyard delivery and commercial deployment architecture and BWXT’s mPowerTM reactor design. mPower was originally developed as a Generation III+ integral pressurized water SMR design with a capacity of 195 megawatts of electricity and 575 MWth per reactor.