The South Korean company HD KSOE is planning to enter the construction of nuclear-powered ships. The concept for an SMR container ship has now been approved by DNV.
The shipbuilding company HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has presented a concept for a container ship that is to be operated using nuclear technology. The classification society DNV issued the Approval in Principle (AiP), which guarantees the technical feasibility of the design, at the Kormarine trade fair.
The presentation was attended by Sungkon Han, Executive Vice President of the Green Energy Research Lab at HD KSOE, Geir Dugstad, Technical Director at DNV, and Ole Christen Reistad, Senior Principal Researcher and Head of Nuclear Research at DNV. They discussed the results of the project and the potential for nuclear-powered vessels at DNV’s Busan office. DNV has also recently published a white paper on the potential of nuclear propulsion technologies in shipping.
HD KSOE’s concept envisages the use of a “Small Modular Reactor” (SMR) on a container ship with a capacity of 15,000 TEU and a speed of 24 knots. Compared to conventional steam-based systems, the reactor should have a higher thermal efficiency and thus reduce the space requirement. DNV has reviewed the concept design of the nuclear-powered vessel in accordance with the regulations and safety levels of SOLAS Chapter VIII and the IMO Safety Code for Nuclear Powered Merchant Ships.
Concept ensures reactor safety
“This SMR container ship concept represents an important milestone in our efforts to explore alternative fuels for the decarbonization of shipping,” said Kwangpil Chang, CTO of HD KSOE. “The design focuses on the safety of the vessel and the advancement of the propulsion system through the application of SMR technology. In addition, we have developed a novel shielding and safety system to ensure reactor safety and ship survivability even in the event of collision, grounding or sinking. We will continue to work with global partners to advance maritime nuclear technologies.”
DNV’s inspection covered the ship’s main functions, power supply and general safety concept. In May 2025, HD KSOE and DNV also conducted a HAZID (Hazard Identification) workshop at DNV’s headquarters in Oslo to identify potential risks and accident scenarios for nuclear-powered vessels and to initiate design improvements.
“Changing environmental requirements and technological advances are reigniting interest in nuclear energy as a potential solution for decarbonizing shipping,” says Geir Dugstad. “However, as there is little recent experience with the use of nuclear energy for cargo ships, this AiP represents an important first step in building the technical verification process for nuclear-powered vessels.”
