The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Maritime Administration have released a request for information (RFI) on May 7 for a new initiative exploring using small modular reactors to power commercial ships.
According to the RFI, DOT and the Maritime Administration are seeking input from the industry and public to figure out if and how SMR technology can be implemented into commercial shipbuilding. The Maritime Administration posted the RFI May 7 in the Federal Register.
“Specifically, the purpose of this RFI is to investigate if advancements in SMR technology and novel concept development are usable, scalable, and can be made commercially viable,” according to the notice. “This includes integration of SMR-propelled vessels into international regulatory regimes.”
DOT’s RFI is looking to cover initial topics of a regulatory path for repeatable deployment of SMRs, addressing requirements needed to develop commercially viable maritime nuclear technology and an assessment of system integration across shipbuilding, operations and logistics networks, according to the notice.
Responses to the RFI are due by Aug. 5. The response to the solicitation should not exceed 30 pages, according to the Federal Register notice.
For additional contact information, responders are directed to contact Sydney Plante at the Office of the Maritime Administrator at maradpressoffice@dot.gov.
“To secure this future for America’s shipbuilding industry, we need to innovate,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “By partnering with industry experts and outside-the-box thinkers to develop a strong SMR model, we will deliver a state-of-the-art energy source that cuts costs and bolsters national security—all at the Speed of Trump.”
The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Reactors, Rian Bahran, said in a May 8 LinkedIn post that implementation of the SMR technology in maritime ships would happen in coordination with DOE’s National Reactor Innovation Center’s Maritime Program and the National Nuclear Security Administration.