A new joint study using the Port of Rotterdam as a case study “Enabling Nuclear-Powered Feeder Ships: A Joint Development Project on Port Call Feasibility and Regulatory Pathways” has found that existing port safety and risk-management frameworks could provide a credible starting point for assessing nuclear-powered commercial ship calls within a major European port environment.

The desktop study, carried out through a joint development project involving Lloyd’s Register, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, CORE POWER and A.P. Moller - Maersk, sets out the questions that ports, regulators and industry would need to answer in order to assess nuclear-powered vessels in a structured and responsible way. It also identifies further work that would be required before routine operation could be contemplated, including regulatory alignment, emergency preparedness, security, liability and public engagement.

Its publication comes at a time of growing pressure on the shipping industry to identify even more scalable zero-emission technologies capable of meeting increasingly demanding decarbonisation requirements while preserving operational reliability, endurance and flexibility.

The report argues that maritime nuclear propulsion should be evaluated as part of the wider discussion around shipping decarbonisation, energy resilience and long-term industrial competitiveness.

While much of the current EU policy discussion has focused on alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and e-fuels, the report notes that segments of global shipping may ultimately require additional propulsion solutions capable of supporting endurance, reliability and operational flexibility at scale.

The Port of Rotterdam participated as a case study because it provides a real-world European port environment through which to examine how emerging energy and shipping technologies could interact with existing port safety frameworks, operations and regulatory processes.

Importantly, the study concludes that existing risk-based port safety frameworks already familiar to European ports could provide a credible starting point for assessing nuclear-powered vessels, provided nuclear-specific safety, security and operational considerations are systematically integrated and supported by appropriate national and international guidance.

The findings suggest that the real challenge for future maritime nuclear propulsion is likely to centre on regulatory alignment, governance, integration between nuclear and maritime safety regimes, and public and institutional preparedness.

The study identifies several key findings:

• Existing port safety and risk-management frameworks provide a credible starting point for the assessment of nuclear-powered commercial vessels within the defined case study scenario.
• Further work is needed on regulatory alignment, governance coordination, nuclear-specific safety and security, emergency preparedness, liability and insurance, operational integration and public engagement before routine commercial operation could be contemplated.
• Current IMO provisions relating to nuclear-powered ships were developed for an earlier era and require modernisation to support any future civil commercial nuclear propulsion pathway.
• Current European maritime decarbonisation discussions remain heavily focused on alternative fuels, with comparatively limited consideration of high-density, zero-emission propulsion systems capable of supporting long-range and high-utilisation shipping operations.
• Major ports and maritime Member States may play an important role in shaping how nuclear propulsion is assessed and potentially integrated into future shipping strategies.

The early-stage work examined a defined feeder vessel concept, assumed operating scenario, port-call profile and regulatory context. It is however not a licensing assessment, an endorsement of deployment, or a final safety or security case.