Nuclear-powered ships can avoid frequent bunkering concerns – Core Power

Nuclear-powered vessels may be able to operate for years without bunkering, Core Power's maritime regulation lead, Unni Einemo said at a conference in London.

PHOTO: Concept design showing the arrangement of nuclear reactor and supporting equipment. American Bureau of Shipping

Methanol, ammonia and hydrogen have lower volumetric energy density than conventional marine fuels like VLSFO or even fossil-based alternatives like liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

This means that methanol-fuelled or ammonia-fuelled ships need to consume 2.5 and 3.6 times more fuel respectively to cover the same distance as VLSFO-fuelled ships.

It also means LNG and LPG require about twice the tank volume compared to VLSFO, while methanol requires 2.5 times larger tank volume. Ammonia requires 3.6 times larger tank volumes because of its lower energy content, and hydrogen requires 4.6 times larger tank volumes because of its very low density, according to a study by ABS and industry partners.

These vessels need to be more frequently bunkered than VLSFO-powered ships to cover the same distance. Alternatively, they may need to carry significantly more fuel onboard, which could reduce the vessel's overall cargo space.

“This means giving up cargo space or bunkering more frequently,” Einemo argued.

This challenge can be avoided when using nuclear-propulsion on a vessel since “uranium-235 has 4 million times more energy per tonne (mt) than ammonia.”

This means that a nuclear-powered ship does not have to compromise cargo capacity and can possibly operate for years or even decades without refuelling or generating GHG emissions, she explained.

Nuclear energy is gaining its “rightful place” among future bunker fuel alternatives, Einemo asserted.

“There is still lots of work to be done to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to realise the full potential of New Nuclear for Maritime (the right technologies, regulations, insurance, finance, business models) but the momentum is there!,” she concluded.

By Konica Bhatt

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