CONCEPT DESIGN FOR A SUEZMAX TANKER POWERED BY A 70 MW SMALL MODULAR REACTOR

摘要

The authors are to be congratulated on a well-researched and timely technical paper. I am pleased to express my personal opinion on the subject. COSCO was intending to initiate a study in December 2009 on nuclear powered ship design in order to reduce GHG emissions from shipping. However, this plan was aborted three years after, following the catastrophic accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan during March 2011. This intensified political and public opposition to nuclear power to the extent that Germany has since adopted plans to decommission its entire nuclear infrastructure. However, confidence is beginning to re-emerge - confidence which I share. With increasing attention being given to GHG emissions arising from burning fossil fuels for global aviation and marine transport, together with the excellent safety record of nuclear power in the marine environment and the development of the new generation of SMRs, it is quite conceivable that renewed attention will be given to the application of nuclear power in merchant ship propulsion.