Lloyd´s Register (LR) has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to a conceptual hybrid power project that aims to integrate micro-modular reactors (MMRs) with conventional diesel-electric systems on board amphibious landing ships (Stern Landing Vessels, SLVs). The project has been developed with the Australian group Seatransport.
The AiP is the result of several years of collaboration between the two companies to demonstrate how MMR technology can be safely combined with proven propulsion systems to reduce dependence on conventional fuel and limit emissions, while extending operational range.
A recently launched 73-meter SLV served as the test platform. Sea trials of the conventionally powered vessel validated the performance assumptions underlying the conceptual nuclear hybrid power project, providing technical assurance that the hybrid design is “practical and robust,” according to LR.
Seatransport´s SLV platform has more than 25 years of operational history. By incorporating hybrid nuclear capability, ships could achieve virtually unlimited range, significantly reduce dependence on conventional fuels, and increase their ability to remain at sea for extended missions, especially in remote or underdeveloped coastal environments. The company´s CEO, Stuart Ballantyne, has praised the AiP as “a paradigm shift in marine technology, greater than the move from sail to steam.”
The MMRs under consideration range from 1.2 MW to 2.6 MW and remain subject to detailed technical and regulatory evaluation. LR is working with national authorities to analyze safety, compliance, and operational standards, with wider adoption expected in the early 2030s.
News and image obtained: "Asociación de Navieros Españoles"
