The Donald Trump administration is launching a project to build civilian vessels with nuclear propulsion in partnership with the company Core Power. The initiative aims to strengthen the position of the US in the global shipbuilding market dominated by China.
This was reported by Delo.ua citing Financial Times, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Washington is initiating a public-private partnership with the British developer to implement new technologies. According to Stephen Carmel, head of the Maritime Administration at the US Department of Transportation, this decision is driven by the inability to compete with Chinese manufacturers on price.
Technological advantage as a market tool
Nuclear power units will allow ships to increase speed by 50–75% and carry significantly larger cargo volumes. An additional incentive is the ability to avoid environmental taxes, while operating costs over the lifecycle of a ship are expected to be comparable to traditional fuel.
The British side has already raised approximately 200 million dollars in investments from Japanese corporations Mitsui, Mitsubishi, and Sumitomo. The laying of the first commercial nuclear vessel is scheduled for 2028, although experts predict the first ships will not enter service until the 2030s due to certification complexities.
Challenges for the new industry
The project involves creating a regulatory framework for insurance, safety, and port access without public funding. The industry faces a number of tasks, including the high cost of reactors, the need to adapt fuel purchasing financing models, and overcoming the shortage of nuclear engineering personnel.
Photo: Delo.ua
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