Economic Feasibility Assessment of Nuclear-Powered Merchant Vessels
原子力推進商船の経済的実現性評価 (AI 翻訳)
R. Freile, Levi Morin Larsen, T. Davies, I. Kourasis, Nial Turner, R. Vilariño, Robert C. Chaplin, Ryan M. Spangler, John Parsons, Sanjay Mukhi, Meg Dowling, A. Abou-Jaoude
🤖 gxceed AI 要約
日本語
本論文は、小型モジュール炉（SMR）を搭載した商用原子力推進船の技術経済評価を実施し、従来の化石燃料船と比較した損益分岐点建設コストを算出した。原子力推進により、低速運航の回避、停泊中の送電（リバースコールドアイアニング）、燃料補給頻度の低減などの利点が得られる可能性がある。分析の結果、大型貨物船では原子力推進が経済的に競争力を持ちうることが示唆された。
English
This paper provides a techno-economic assessment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for commercial nuclear ship propulsion, calculating breakeven overnight construction costs compared to conventional fossil-fueled vessels. It identifies operational advantages such as eliminating slow steaming, enabling reverse cold ironing, and reducing refueling frequency. The preliminary analysis suggests that nuclear propulsion may be economically competitive for large cargo ships.
Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.
📝 gxceed 編集解説 — Why this matters
日本のGX文脈において
日本は世界有数の海運国であり、国際海事機関（IMO）のGHG削減目標に対応するため、原子力推進も選択肢の一つとして検討される可能性がある。本稿の経済性評価は、日本の造船・海運業界がSMRを導入する際の投資判断や政策議論に示唆を与える。
In the global GX context
The paper contributes to the global discussion on decarbonizing maritime transport, particularly in light of IMO's 2050 zero-emission targets. It provides a framework for comparing nuclear propulsion with other low-carbon alternatives, informing investment decisions and regulatory development for SMR-powered ships worldwide.
👥 読者別の含意
🔬研究者:Provides breakeven cost benchmarks and operational models for comparing nuclear vs. conventional maritime propulsion.
🏢実務担当者:Offers cost and performance data useful for evaluating nuclear propulsion as a decarbonization option for shipping companies.
🏛政策担当者:Highlights regulatory and liability frameworks needed to enable nuclear-powered shipping, relevant for IMO and national maritime authorities.
📄 Abstract（原文）
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are rapidly emerging as a transformative technology for maritime applications, offering significant potential to power both Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPPs) and nuclear-powered merchant ships. By leveraging modular shipyard-based construction, SMRs offer the potential for more cost-effective deployment and reduced delivery timelines compared to traditional terrestrial nuclear facilities. For commercial nuclear propulsion, SMRs could provide significant advantages that extend beyond zero-emission operations. These include eliminating the need for slow steaming, enabling ships to deliver power to shoreside infrastructure during port calls ("reverse cold ironing"), and reducing reliance on fossil fuel bunkering while lengthening the refueling interval to multiple years. Additional benefits include higher average transit speeds, increased cargo capacity due to smaller fuel storage requirements, and greater overall operational flexibility. However, the realization of these opportunities will require overcoming regulatory hurdles and establishing robust international liability frameworks tailored to nuclear-powered shipping. The objective of this paper is to provide a comparative techno-economic assessment of SMR applications in commercial nuclear propulsion, demonstrating how SMRs can become a competitive and versatile solution for civil maritime propulsion. The goal is to quantify target breakeven costs for nuclear technology to be economically attractive compared to other competing technologies to guide investment decisions, regulatory development, and design optimization across multiple applications. To evaluate the economic feasibility of nuclear ship propulsion, breakeven overnight construction costs (OCC) are calculated. A simplified revenue model is applied to compare nuclear-powered and conventionally fueled merchant vessels, incorporating factors such as trip frequency, transit speed, cargo capacity, freight rates, and vessel availability. This preliminary analysis indicates that maritime nuclear technologies may be economically competitive for large cargo ship propulsion. Operational differences in nuclear-powered ships could result in increased lifetime revenue, with potential advantages such as mitigating schedule disruptions from longer routes and faster steaming, which may benefit the delivery of time-sensitive cargoes commanding higher freight rates. These benefits remain contingent on advanced reactor designs improving ship availability and the logistical support of faster ships by ports.
🔗 Provenance — このレコードを発見したソース
- semanticscholar https://doi.org/10.4043/37029-msfirst seen 2026-06-29 06:25:09
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