ABS AiP for SHI MSR-based power barge design

The floating power barge design uses compact molten salt reactor (hereinafter, ‘CMSR’) technology to generate electricity and thermal energy. The floating power barge has an operational lifetime of 24 years, and offers significant construction and operational cost advantages over conventional nuclear power barges. SHI notes that the power barge is expected to take only two years to build. 

The Danish technology developer Seaborg notes that the CMSR technology represents a new generation of nuclear reactors that are clean and safe and can be built using industrial technology with all the benefits of scalability, speed, and lower costs. 

SHI expects the CMSR Power Barge to be equipped with between two and eight 100MW CMSRs in accordance with demand for power production. It is a ‘nuclear power plant on the sea’ with steam turbine generators and transmission/distribution facilities in the floating body. 

SHI signed a business agreement with CMSR developer, Seaborg, in January 2022 to develop floating nuclear power plant products. SHI plans to commercialise the technology by 2028 after completing detailed designs of all power generation facilities.