ATLAS, new MARAD partnership, among latest maritime nuclear announcements

[Marlin]

ATLAS, new MARAD partnership, among latest maritime nuclear announcements

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-08-31/article-8353/atlas-new-marad-partnership-among-latest-maritime-nuclear-announcements/

[Core Content]

The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched the Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea program to support nuclear technology in civilian shipping and floating power plants. Simultaneously, the Maritime Administration signed a cooperation agreement with Core Power, while Newcleo announced a consortium to design a 200-MWe nuclear-powered barge.

These initiatives aim to establish regulatory and safety frameworks for deploying advanced reactors in maritime environments by the 2030s. For the nuclear industry, this shift represents a move toward non-traditional markets, requiring new standards for mobile reactor operations. These partnerships signal a coordinated effort to integrate nuclear energy into global maritime infrastructure and logistics.

Just days after the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the Port of Corpus Christi announced a partnership to explore the development of small modular reactors in the U.S. seaport, multiple other maritime nuclear announcements were unveiled to the public, including another MARAD partnership.

ATLAS launches: Last Wednesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency launched the Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea program, or ATLAS. This global initiative—which already has the backing of 25 countries—would support the use of new nuclear reactor technology in civilian shipping and floating nuclear power plants. The potential applications of maritime nuclear power are numerous, according to an IAEA news release announcing ATLAS: providing power to coastal and remote...

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-08-31/article-8353/atlas-new-marad-partnership-among-latest-maritime-nuclear-announcements/