USA to examine SMRs for commercial shipping

"Global competitors are advancing the integration of nuclear propulsion into the broader maritime industry, including shipyards, ports, insurance regimes, and logistics networks, which places the US at a strategic disadvantage in the absence of domestic small modular reactor (SMR) development," the Maritime Administration (MARAD) said. "Durable adoption of SMR propulsion technology, a modern-day maritime transition, has great potential not only as a result of engineering breakthroughs, but also when the US Government helps reduce systemic uncertainty, align regulatory structures, and enable market conditions that allow private capital and operators to scale new technologies."

As a first step, the Maritime Administration has issued a Request for Information, calling on innovators and industry stakeholders to help develop an SMR model that "revitalises US shipbuilding, cuts costs, and secures energy dominance".

The Request for Information (RFI) is seeking input from industry and innovators to advance: deploying reliable, high-power energy to allow commercial ships to travel further and faster; SMRs that will largely eliminate fuel costs and reduce maintenance requirements; reinforcing US supply chains and securing energy independence to bolster its national defence; identifying streamlined deployment methods to integrate nuclear power across entire fleets and logistical networks; integrating SMR production into US shipyards to build strong robust workforce pipelines and new credentialing standards; and establishing liability, insurance, and inspection frameworks to ensure seamless port access before construction begins.

"This RFI seeks industry insight into building a coherent US system capable of long-term commercial adoption, while providing global leadership," the Maritime Administration said. "Specifically, the purpose of this RFI is to investigate if advancements in SMR technology and novel concept development are usable, scalable, and can be made commercially viable. This includes integration of SMR-propelled vessels into international regulatory regimes." The agency said it is particularly interested in concepts that "treat nuclear propulsion as commercial infrastructure rather than a technology demonstration, and that demonstrate clear pathways to scalable, repeatable maritime operations".

The Maritime Administration - whose mission is to foster, promote and develop the USA's maritime industry to meet the country's economic and security needs - noted the SMR initiative advances President Donald Trump's Executive Orders on Unleashing American Energy and Restoring America's Maritime Dominance.

Comments on the Request for Information can be submitted by 5 August.

To support the development of these SMRs, the Maritime Administration is collaborating with the US Coast Guard, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Department of Energy. It said it will collect additional input through other forums, including public workshops, listening sessions, and technical exchanges.

"Under President Trump's leadership, the US is reclaiming its rightful place as a global sea power," said US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "To secure this future for America's shipbuilding industry, we need to innovate. By partnering with industry experts and outside-the-box thinkers to develop a strong SMR model, we will deliver a state-of-the-art energy source that cuts costs and bolsters national security—all at the Speed of Trump."

The Maritime Administration's Stephen Carmel added: "To successfully introduce SMRs, we must view this through a system-transition lens rather than just as a technology demonstration. We are seeking critical insights on how the government can help reduce systemic uncertainty, align regulatory structures, and enable the market conditions necessary for private capital and operators to scale these groundbreaking technologies."