The Port of Rotterdam. Image Credit: Port of Rotterdam Authority
A joint study involving Lloyd’s Register, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Core Power and A.P. Moller-Maersk has found that existing port safety and risk-management frameworks could provide a credible starting point for assessing nuclear-powered commercial ships.
Using Rotterdam as a case study, the report examined how a nuclear-powered feeder vessel could operate within a major European port environment and interact with existing safety, operational and regulatory systems, LR said in an email update on Thursday.
The study found that current risk-based safety frameworks already used by European ports could support assessments of nuclear-powered ships, provided additional nuclear-specific safety, security and operational requirements are incorporated.
However, the report stresses that substantial work remains before routine commercial operations could be considered.
Areas requiring further development include regulatory alignment, governance, emergency preparedness, liability and insurance arrangements, security measures and public engagement.
The study also notes that current IMO rules covering nuclear-powered ships were developed decades ago and would need modernisation to support any future civil nuclear propulsion pathway.
Ship & Bunker News Team
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