Samsung Heavy Industries announced at the opening of the giant Gastech event in Milan today it has received approval in principle (AiP) for a 174,000 cu m LNG carrier powered by a nuclear small modular reactor (SMR). The certification, a world first, has been granted by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Liberian Registry.
The SMR, whose conceptual design was jointly developed by Samsung Heavy Industries and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, will serve as the vessel’s propulsion system. The molten salt reactor (MSR) technology integrates nuclear fuel and coolant in liquid form. Samsung Heavy has been researching nuclear tech for many years, including various concepts for floating nuclear power barges.
Also on the Samsung Heavy stand at the annual gas show are details of a new-look 174,000 cu m gas carrier it has developed in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines, featuring four giant hard sails and the accommodation block moved to the prow of the vessel.
