Corpus Christi advances US nuclear shipping push
The Port of Corpus Christi Authority has signed separate agreements with the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) and CORE POWER to assess the potential deployment of nuclear technology in US commercial shipping.
IMAGE: Aerial view of Port of Corpus Christi in Texas. Port of Corpus Christi
The Port of Corpus Christi in Texas is a major energy and trade hub on the US Gulf Coast and handles significant crude oil and LNG volumes.
The port authority will work with MARAD to explore the potential integration of small modular reactor (SMR) technology across port microgrids, shore power infrastructure and vessel propulsion.
This is the second such agreement signed by MARAD, following an earlier agreement with the Port of Long Beach.
Separately, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority has partnered with CORE POWER to assess the port’s readiness to host floating nuclear power plants and receive nuclear-powered commercial ships.
The study will examine potential sites, grid connections, regulatory requirements and environmental approvals for floating nuclear power plants.
For nuclear-powered vessels, it will assess the requirements to establish safe and predictable procedures for transit, berthing and routine port operations.
“Port Corpus Christi gives us a real operating environment in which to assess both pathways separately, but as parts of the complete industrial and regulatory system needed to make maritime nuclear commercially deployable,” CORE POWER chief executive Mikal Bøe said.
“Taken together, these separate but complementary agreements represent an important step toward translating maritime nuclear technology into practical readiness requirements for U.S. ports,” he added.
CORE POWER said the proposed study will not select a reactor technology, vendor or site, or initiate licensing or permitting. It also does not commit investment or authorise construction or deployment.
By Konica Bhatt
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