Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), and Denmark’s Seaborg Technologies have come together in a bid to develop floating nuclear power plants.
The group plans on using Seaborg Technologies’ innovative compact molten salt reactor (MSR) technology, which is currently in the concept-verification phase.
A prototype is scheduled for around 2025, with at-scale deployment expected by 2028.
MSRs use nuclear fuel mixed with hot fluoride or chloride salts to produce heat.
‘Safer, cleaner future’
Seaborg says its compact, modular MSR has a 12-year fuel cycle, after which time the spent fuel is sent back to the supplier, where the short-lived fission products are separated and put into storage.
The waste is said to radiologically similar to radioactive hospital waste and can be handled using conventional methods.
Seaborg says its goal is to reuse its own waste with the ambition to close its fuel cycle.
The power barge is expected to be able to deliver up to 800 MW of electricity, as well as clean water from desalination, and district heating and cooling.
The reactors will be built in Denmark, then sent to shipyards in South Korea to be installed on floating barges and moved to their final locations.
Seaborg says the agreement marks a “significant milestone” for floating nuclear solutions, adding that each 200 MWe of generation capacity is expected to save over 26 million tons of CO2 emissions over its 24-year lifetime – when compared with a coal-fired power plant.
Navid Samandari, CEO of Seaborg Technologies, said: “This consortium is unique for deploying nuclear power at scale.
“We are proud to say we have partnered with the best for construction and operations as part of our shared mission to develop and deploy the power barges.”
Jooho Whang, CEO of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, said: “KHNP’s active effort will be aimed at fostering a mutually beneficial partnership between Korea and Denmark, with a focus on cooperation in the next-generation nuclear power project, for a safer and cleaner future.”
Jintaek Jeong, CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries, said: “Floating nuclear power plant is a carbon-free energy solution which is efficiently responding the climate change issues, and a next-generation technology expandable to floating hydrogen, ammonia plant the meets the vision of Samsung Heavy Industries.”
Image credit: Natali _ Mis/Shutterstock
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