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INTERVIEW
CorePower is just one company that has been working to provide alternative sources of power for vessels — in this case, its Molten Salt Reactor programme, which will deliver advanced atomic energy batteries for large commercial ships. Ian Cochran talks to chief executive Mikal Boe
A NEW LOOK AT NUCLEAR POWER
Mikal Boe Chief Executive, CorePower
Q: Please explain what a molten salt reactor is. A: A molten salt reactor (MSR) is a class of nuclear fission reactor in which the primary nuclear reactor coolant and/or the fuel is a molten salt mixture. A key characteristic of MSRs is their operation at or close to atmospheric pressure, hence inherent safety is built in. Marine Molten Salt Reactors (m-MSR) technology will provide the power for the largest ships afloat through the installation of advanced atomic batteries, currently in development with the first prototype scheduled for 2024. Q: I see it can be used to manufacture green ammonia. Should this fuel be chosen, would CorePower manufacture green ammonia ashore and then can it be shipped to bunker points? A: With m-MSR power, floating production vessels (think FPSOs) could be positioned where fuel is needed. Making green fuels from air (Nitrogen) and water (Hydrogen) to
create green ammonia (NH3) can be done in ports, substantially reducing the need for a trillion-dollar supply chain to be built around green fuels. Such floating production units could produce to meet demand, and switch to production of fuels for urban transport and infrastructure when demand for green marine fuel is lower. Production vessels could — and should — be owned by professionally run private companies. Q: Which particular areas of the shipping industry is CorePower currently aiming to equip? A: Currently, there are about 40,000 ships that are too small to make commercial sense of installing an m-MSR battery onboard. Instead, they can use green fuels for their existing propulsion systems. We are aligned with the shipping industry’s drive towards producing green synthetic fuels to replace fossil fuels. So, from Core Power’s perspective that is a market where we can provide long-term,
C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021
