Lloyd's Register and BPA Call on Ports to Prepare for Nuclear-Powered Vessels

Lloyd's Register (LR) and the British Ports Association (BPA) have published a joint report titled 'Advanced Nuclear Technology Use Within Port Environments', urging ports to start preparing for advanced nuclear technologies. The document argues that nuclear power must be approached as a matter of long-term infrastructure and operational planning, rather than simply as another alternative marine fuel. The report examines three possible applications: nuclear-powered merchant vessels calling at commercial ports, floating or transportable nuclear power plants, and small modular reactors or land-based microreactors supporting port operations.

According to LR and BPA, the main obstacles are not purely technological but include regulatory uncertainty, governance, insurance, workforce competency, emergency response capability, and public trust. The report recommends integrating nuclear scenarios into existing port safety management systems rather than creating a parallel structure, building on current controls for dangerous goods and high-consequence operations, supplemented by specialised monitoring and dedicated nuclear expertise. Emergency preparedness is identified as a particular priority, since current arrangements are designed for conventional maritime incidents or land-based nuclear facilities, which could leave gaps in the event of emergencies involving nuclear-powered commercial vessels.

The report notes that existing international frameworks, such as SOLAS Chapter VIII and the IMO's Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships adopted in 1981 and currently under review, predate today's advanced reactor designs. It also highlights the absence of a comprehensive international liability framework for nuclear-powered commercial vessels, recalling that the 1962 Brussels Convention on the Liability of Operators of Nuclear Ships never entered into force. The document draws on an earlier LR project conducted with CORE POWER, A.P. Moller-Maersk and the Port of Rotterdam, which examined the safety and regulatory implications of a nuclear-powered container feeder vessel calling at a European port, concluding that safety approaches already familiar to ports could serve as a foundation if nuclear-specific requirements are incorporated systematically.

To facilitate proportionate planning, the report proposes a four-tier framework allowing each port to define its level of readiness according to its operational needs: 'nuclear-aware', with the capacity to assess inquiries and engage with authorities; 'nuclear-ready', which identifies potential berths or sites and trains personnel; 'nuclear-enabled', with capabilities for recurring calls by nuclear-powered vessels; and 'nuclear energy hub', which integrates floating, transportable or land-based nuclear power generation into the port's energy infrastructure. LR and BPA stress that advanced nuclear power will not be suitable for every port and that the level of readiness should reflect local conditions, energy demand and available infrastructure.

Recommended initial actions include mapping stakeholders, assessing future electricity demand and grid constraints, engaging early with regulators, and preparing clear communications for staff and local communities. Mark Tipping, LR's Global Director of Offshore Power-to-X, said advanced nuclear power has the potential to transform ports from energy consumers into resilient, low-carbon industrial and energy hubs, but that seizing this opportunity depends on assessing governance, proportionate assurance, and early collaboration between the maritime and nuclear sectors. Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of the BPA, said advanced nuclear power may not be the right solution for every port, but that it is important for the sector to understand its potential applications and start asking the right questions now. Beyond vessel calls, advanced reactors could provide low-carbon electricity for shore power, cargo-handling equipment, cold storage and neighbouring industries, as well as heat for hydrogen and synthetic fuel production.