Nuclear-powered deep-sea mining vessel

Abstract

With rising global emissions and the maritime sector accounting for approximately 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To meet this goal, the shipping industry requires the development and adoption of new propulsion technologies. In this context, nuclear energy has emerged as a promising option due to its very high energy density, ability to deliver consistent power independent of external conditions, and zero operational GHG emissions. Despite its advantages, nuclear propulsion has seen limited commercial adoption, with most existing applications confined to naval vessels.

To address this gap, this thesis investigated the feasibility of integrating a nuclear reactor into the power generation and conversion system of a high-energy-consuming commercial vessel with dynamic positioning capability.
A nuclear reactor coupled with a cascaded Brayton cycle was selected as the power source. Based on the vessel’s power profile, two reactors and an additional battery pack were determined to be necessary. A failure mode and effects analysis identified critical components, informing the development of two design configurations: one with partial redundancy and one with full system independence. Both achieve comparable thermodynamic performance. Integration aspects, such as power distribution architecture, physical layout, and equipment placement, were addressed lastly to ensure feasibility.
The study concludes that nuclear retrofitting is viable at a conceptual level, pending further engineering and safety development.