CORE POWER CEO Mikal Bøe recently shared insights on the rapid progress of nuclear power in the maritime sector during an interview on the Seatrade Maritime podcast. Bøe highlighted significant milestones achieved over the past three years, emphasizing the growing acceptance of nuclear technology as a viable solution for shipping's decarbonization challenges.

A key development has been the inclusion of nuclear power on the agenda at both the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Bøe elaborates:

"I think the biggest milestone over the last three years has been... the insertion of nuclear into the agenda at the IMO. It's not quite there yet, but it is working its way through the system, and we believe in 2025, [it will] become part of the work stream at the IMO. And similarly at the [IAEA] in Vienna, we've now got maritime firmly on the agenda. So, that aligns the two big standards organizations for maritime and nuclear around this topic of putting [nuclear] at sea in a safe way."

This alignment between maritime and nuclear regulators sets the stage for addressing crucial aspects such as insurability and port access for nuclear-powered vessels. Bøe noted a marked shift in industry perception, stating:

"If you go to a nuclear conference, you'll have maritime on the agenda... At shipping conferences, [nuclear] is a topic that is brought up in most of those conferences, often the panels and keynote speakers come and talk about this."

The recent partnership announcement with Lloyd's Register and Maersk further underscores the technology's growing mainstream appeal. As Bøe puts it, "It's nice when the big household names are prepared to stand up and say, 'Yeah, we're in. We want to be part of this.'"

CORE POWER's Molten Chloride Fast Reactor, currently under development at Idaho National Laboratory, represents a critical step towards realising safe and efficient marine nuclear propulsion. Bøe projects that the first nuclear-powered commercial vessels could be operational "somewhere after 2032," adding, "I think we've got another 10 years, and that's probably ahead of some of these hydrogen stories that are out there."

As public opinion continues to warm towards nuclear energy, Bøe remains optimistic about the technology's future in shipping. He emphasizes, "There's no net zero without nuclear," and predicts a continued shift in public perception.

You can listen to the full interview with Mikal Bøe on the Seatrade Maritime podcast below: