China plans to build the world’s first nuclear-powered container ship, a project that could change commercial shipping as the industry works to reduce emissions and adopt new energy technologies.

State-owned Jiangnan Shipyard is designing a 25,000-container nuclear-powered vessel, its vice president Lin Qingshan told the South China Morning Post during the Marintec China conference in Shanghai. 

If built, it would mark the first time nuclear propulsion is used for a large merchant container ship.

World’s first nuclear cargo ship 

Lin said construction of the vessel could begin in about 10 years, adding that Jiangnan also plans to invest in specialized shipyards dedicated to building nuclear-powered commercial ships. He did not disclose the expected cost of such facilities, according to the Post.

“We aim to be a frontrunner in this field,” Lin told the South China Morning Post. He said the vessel would be powered by a thorium-based molten salt nuclear reactor with a 200-megawatt output. 

The reactor design is classified as a fourth-generation nuclear system and is expected to have a 40-year operational lifespan.

While nuclear propulsion has long been used in submarines and aircraft carriers, no nuclear-powered merchant container ship has ever entered commercial service. 

Supporters argue that such vessels could offer major advantages, including zero carbon emissions during operation, extended range without refueling, lower long-term fuel costs, and higher cruising speeds than conventional ships.

However, Lin acknowledged that major regulatory hurdles remain. It is still unclear which government authority would approve the construction and operation of a nuclear-powered commercial ship, making large-scale deployment uncertain for now.

The announcement comes as China’s shipbuilding sector faces growing geopolitical and market pressure.

Chinese shipyards accounted for 65% of global shipbuilding orders by deadweight tonnage during the first nine months of 2025, down from about 75% a year earlier, according to data from shipping services firm Clarksons cited by the South China Morning Post.

China’s oldest shipyard

New orders for Chinese-built vessels dropped sharply this year, falling 61% to 10.5 million tonnes in the three months ending in September, compared with 26.9 million tonnes a year earlier, Clarksons data showed.

At the same time, US President Donald Trump has pledged to challenge China’s dominance in global shipbuilding, proposing investments totaling tens of billions of dollars to revive American shipyards.

Against this backdrop, China State Shipbuilding Corp, Jiangnan’s parent company and the world’s largest shipbuilding conglomerate, is pushing to move up the industry value chain.

CSSC controls about one-third of global shipbuilding output and is increasingly focusing on cruise ships, deep-sea drilling vessels, and nuclear-powered ships, company executives said at Marintec.

Ma Yunxiang, an assistant president at CSSC, told the conference the company aims to boost profitability by building more advanced vessels using artificial intelligence and new energy technologies, the Post reported.

Other Chinese firms are also racing into clean-energy shipping. Contemporary Amperex Technology, the world’s largest electric vehicle battery maker, announced it expects to build its first battery-powered ocean-going vessel within three years.

CSSC is also working on Adora Flora City, China’s second domestically built cruise ship, scheduled for delivery next year.

In late 2024, the company delivered Mengxiang, China’s first deep-ocean drilling ship, capable of operating in extreme weather and drilling to depths of 11,000 meters.

Jiangnan Shipyard, founded in 1865 and China’s oldest shipyard, previously built the country’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, using domestically developed technology.