Energy Partnership Advances Nuclear Power on the Sea

Deployable Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hornbeck Offshore, and Hornbeck has also made a strategic investment in the company. They are partnering to put Deployable Energy’s Unity Nuclear Battery into five different maritime and offshore markets.

A Unity Nuclear Battery is a 1-megawatt, mass-manufactured, transportable microreactor. Instead of building a whole ship around a reactor, this technology is engineered specifically for vessel integration. It provides emissions-free power and can run for more than five years before needing to refuel. And it can easily scale up from single units to large multi-unit setups.

Combining Deployable Energy’s microreactor hardware with Hornbeck Offshore’s experience running a marine fleet brings nuclear power to inland waterways, offshore vessels and platforms, national security logistics, autonomous vessels, power barges, and floating data centers.

Building Maritime Nuclear Power

The companies are forming a joint working group to determine the specifics. They will focus on vessel integration, economics, licensing pathways, financing, and commercial structures, starting mainly with near-term U.S. applications.

Over the next ten years, this program could open up a multi-gigawatt deployment opportunity. The financial target is to cut the total cost of ownership by at least 20% compared to standard marine diesel or grid-power options. This can help advance American energy dominance on the water, meet the International Maritime Organization’s targets, and strengthen U.S. shipbuilding.

Why the Partnership is Important

“We are proud to partner with one of the leaders in the U.S. maritime sector and one of the largest Jones Act vessel owners to usher in a commercial maritime nuclear industry,” Bobby Gallagher, CEO and Co-Founder of Deployable Energy, explained. “Todd Hornbeck and his founder-led operating experience coupled with his team’s proven ability to bring new technologies to market will enable us to move from demonstration to real-world deployment. Together, we’re forging a path to lower energy costs, greater endurance and entirely new maritime power applications.”

Todd M. Hornbeck, Chairman, President and CEO of Hornbeck Offshore, added, “Deployable Energy’s speed of execution, culture, and ability to understand requirements in the maritime industry are why we chose them to partner on five priority maritime markets that can utilize compact nuclear power to improve economics, endurance and energy resilience.”