Global demand for electricity is growing fast, and building traditional power plants takes a long time. To solve this problem, a company called CORE POWER wants to build nuclear power plants in shipyards and float them to where people need energy.

The company recently started a feasibility study to see if they can put a specific reactor design called mPower, created by BWX Technologies, onto these floating power plants. The mPower reactor is a small modular reactor design that can produce 195 megawatts of electricity and 575 megawatts of thermal power.

Moving Nuclear Power Plants to the Water

floating nuclear plant
A CORE POWER floating nuclear power plant vessel named Charlotte; Photo: CORE POWER

Instead of building a massive power plant on land, floating nuclear power plants are built completely inside a controlled shipyard. Once finished, they are moved by water directly to coastal cities or industrial hubs that have high energy needs.

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This method helps fix a few major issues. For example, it removes the risk of long construction delays on land, makes it easier to build the plants repeatedly, and brings power to places that do not have enough space, strong power grids, or time for normal planning processes.

The new study will look at how to merge the reactor with marine systems, what the regulations require, and how the finances stack up. CORE POWER is funding this initial step to guide its future engineering and commercial choices.

Accelerating the Process

CORE POWER wants to combine its knowledge of ship construction and marine deployment with the existing reactor design from BWX Technologies to get these plants moving sooner.

“We’re building, integrating and deploying ship-based nuclear energy systems that deliver reliable power where industry and nations need it most,” Mikal Bøe, the CEO of CORE POWER, explained. “We are focused on commercial delivery, from vessels and infrastructure to kilowatts consumed and industries powered.”