Maritime nuclear innovation company CORE POWER has partnered with naval architecture company Glosten for the design of a floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) for ports in the U.S.
CORE POWER’s FNPP concept entails a nearshore infrastructure system that includes a barge-based nuclear power plant, barge support services, electrical grid integration, and operational teams.
The plant is planned to provide an estimated 175 GWh of clean electricity per year, allowing ports to achieve zero-emissions electrical generation for visiting ships, terminal cranes and equipment, and port vehicles.
Glosten has been selected to develop the operational concept and design the floating facility for the FNPP. The naval architect will also establish a regulatory path for the barge, navigate site location approvals, and identify a potential supply chain network for the FNPP’s fabrication, assembly, integration, transportation, and installation.
CORE POWER noted the project is currently in the concept phase and is being designed with the intent to serve a non-specific port located in the Southern U.S., with Glosten performing risk assessments and developing the general arrangements for the barge which will house the nuclear reactors.
“The marine industry has experienced a massive push to decarbonize, and CORE POWER’s FNPP offers an effective and practical means to meet that demand,” said Morgan Fanberg , CEO of Glosten. “Glosten’s job is to turn CORE POWER’s vision into a design that demonstrates the practicality of providing reliable, zero-emissions nuclear power to port facilities and has a defined path to regulatory approval.”
Mikal Bøe , CEO of CORE POWER, added: “Nuclear fission is a well-understood and practiced process. It allows us to access an enormous energy resource safely, reliably, and on-demand without emitting greenhouse gases. Over 80% of the cost of nuclear power on land is in civil construction, with reactors and power systems accounting for less than 20%. FNPPs will be shipyard-manufactured and mass-assembled, ensuring delivery speed and low costs. Using FNPPs to power ports solves the electrification challenge and creates local energy security.”
In November 2024, CORE POWER entered into a cooperative agreement with American nuclear reactor designer and vendor Westinghouse Electric Company for the design and development of FNPP.