Nuclear Power At Sea: Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier Receives Approval and Promises Operation Without Refueling

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 10/09/2025 at 13:32

Primeiro navio transportador de gás natural movido a reator nuclear recebe aprovação internacional e estreia

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Pioneering Ship With 100 MWth Molten Salt Reactor Promises To Operate Without Refueling and Marks Historic Advance in Clean Maritime Propulsion

South Korean engineers have achieved a groundbreaking feat by presenting the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier powered by nuclear energy.

The vessel uses a modular molten salt reactor (MSR) and received Approval in Principle (AiP) on September 9.

This approval is symbolic yet fundamental, as it certifies the project’s compliance with international safety regulations and standards.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

What Is an AiP

The AiP functions as a preliminary certification. It does not mean the immediate construction of the ship, but confirms that the design meets the basic safety and feasibility requirements.

In the case of the South Korean vessel, this is the first time a ship powered by a molten salt reactor has received this type of official recognition.

Molten Salt Technology

The molten salt reactor differs from conventional reactors because it uses fuel mixed with molten salt, rather than solid fuels. According to KAERI, the developed propulsion system has a thermal capacity of 100 megawatts (MWth).

This configuration offers significant advantages because it combines high safety with energy efficiency. Additionally, it ensures continuous operation without the need for refueling throughout the vessel’s lifetime.

Traditional reactors require maintenance and fuel replacement, which causes disruptions. The MSR, therefore, emerges as a revolutionary solution to reduce downtime and improve maritime logistics.

Strategic Partnership

The project is the result of cooperation between the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and Samsung Heavy Industries. Research began in 2023 and was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

The teams are working to complete the conceptual design of the marine reactor by next year, consolidating South Korea’s position as a leader in naval innovation.

International Debut

The official announcement came just before Gastech 2025, the largest gas and energy exhibition in the world. The event will be held in Milan, Italy, from September 9 to 12.

Gastech serves as a global stage for the shipbuilding, energy r gia and classification societies sectors. Choosing the event for the announcement underscores the international significance of the innovation.

Vision for the Future

According to Jin Young Cho, director of the advanced reactor research institute at KAERI, the goal is clear: to contribute to carbon neutrality in the maritime sector.

The statement encapsulates the initiative’s impact as it shows that the project goes beyond technological innovation. It is directly connected to the energy transition and the global effort to reduce emissions.

This first step marks the beginning of a new era for the oceans, where transportation can become cleaner and more sustainable.

Nuclear Power At Sea: Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier Receives Approval and Promises Operation Without Refueling

Pioneering Ship With 100 MWth Molten Salt Reactor Promises To Operate Without Refueling and Marks Historic Advance in Clean Maritime Propulsion

What Is an AiP

Molten Salt Technology

Strategic Partnership

International Debut

Vision for the Future

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Nuclear Power At Sea: Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier Receives Approval and Promises Operation Without Refueling

Pioneering Ship With 100 MWth Molten Salt Reactor Promises To Operate Without Refueling and Marks Historic Advance in Clean Maritime Propulsion

What Is an AiP

Molten Salt Technology

Strategic Partnership

International Debut

Vision for the Future

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

Xiaomi launches new smart stove with titanium sensor and automatic shutdown that detects an open flame without supervision.

China has just successfully tested the world’s first ground effect maritime vehicle, a craft that flies up to 6 meters above the water at 200 km/h, uses quantum technology and 6G communication, and can rescue patients in the middle of the ocean.

Ibama is using drones, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence to hunt an Asian invasive plant in the mangroves of Cubatão before it spreads along the Brazilian coast, and more than 700 trees of the species have already been manually removed.

Giant octopuses up to 19 meters dominated the oceans 100 million years ago, and new 3D technology reveals what the true apex predators of the sea were like.

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