Nuclear energy is “emerging as a legitimate, practical, and scalable solution for a wide range of strategic uses,” ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki said at the Core Power Argo Conference in Athens, Greece, ABS said in a statement.
“It is a credible long-term solution, not simply because of its potential to reduce emissions, but because it offers unmatched energy density, reliability, and strategic independence,” Wiernicki told the audience.
Roadmap for nuclear-powered maritime applications
He noted that developments across the maritime and energy sectors include advanced reactor technologies, class rules, testing facilities, evolving regulatory frameworks, and interest in public-private partnerships.
According to him, feasibility studies are underway, investment interest is increasing, and the timeline for nuclear adoption in shipping is “coming into focus.”
Wiernicki described a roadmap beginning with shoreside applications such as powering ports and producing hydrogen, followed by offshore projects including floating data centers, synthetic fuel platforms, desalination systems, and eventually nuclear-powered commercial vessels and a global fleet.
A Joint Development Project involving ABS, Core Power and Athlos is preparing for deployment of floating nuclear power plants in the Mediterranean, with potential sites identified across islands, ports, and coastal communities. Research cited by Wiernicki indicates significant growth potential for floating nuclear power.
“Applications based on maritime assets will begin with floating power barges because they will be more straightforward to design, build, and operate,” Wiernicki said. He added that such projects, being location-specific, could face fewer regulatory challenges than vessels operating internationally.
Wiernicki pointed to floating nuclear-powered data centers as an early opportunity, with the potential to capture up to 10 percent of the global market by 2050.
He said this could translate into nine facilities in the U.S., noting projections that the global data center market will reach $212 billion by 2029. He also underlined the role of “commercial nuclear corridors,” where vessels powered by small modular reactors would initially operate between two countries with favorable acceptance of nuclear power and established regulatory frameworks. Such corridors, he said, could support safe deployment, regulatory alignment, and wider integration of nuclear technology in shipping.
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Source: ABS
