CORE POWER announces US-anchored maritime civil nuclear program

February 17, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

UK-based maritime nuclear innovation company CORE POWER has launched a U.S.-anchored maritime civil nuclear program, titled Liberty, that aims to bring floating nuclear power to market by the mid-2030s.

The program will lay the foundation for the use of nuclear power in the civil maritime sector, CORE POWER claimed, adding it will encompass modular construction of advanced fission technology and create the regulatory and supply chain frameworks necessary to enable this technology to be rolled out worldwide.

Mikal Bøe, CORE POWER’s CEO, stated: “The Liberty program will unlock a floating power market worth $2.6tn, and shipyard construction of nuclear will deliver on time and on budget. Given that 65% of economic activity takes place on the coast, this will allow nuclear to reach new markets.”

The first part of the program will see the mass production of floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs), while the second part will involve developing nuclear propulsion for civil ships.

As disclosed, FNPPs will be produced in shipyards on a modular production line, making use of well-established shipbuilding processes and leveraging an already skilled workforce. They will, reportedly, be manufactured as power barges that can be moored at ports and coastal locations, as well as larger-capacity generation units anchored further offshore.

CORE POWER shared: “A fleet of FNPPs can be mass produced and towed to customer locations without complex site preparations, while a central yard carries out commissioning, maintenance, refuelling, and waste management.”

“This mass production is possible because the Liberty program will employ advanced nuclear technologies, such as molten salt reactors. Unlike conventional nuclear technologies, these next-generation reactors are inherently and passively safe and operate at near atmospheric pressures – negating the need for a large emergency exclusion zone and vastly improving the insurability of FNPPs and nuclear-powered commercial ships.”

“Advanced nuclear technologies are also vastly more efficient than conventional nuclear propulsion – enabling a ship to run on a single fuel load for its entire design life while simultaneously minimizing the amount of waste produced. Nuclear-propelled ships will therefore offer huge improvements in speed, efficiency and cargo-carrying capacity.”

CORE POWER is said to be working in partnership with various developers of advanced nuclear technologies to develop the reactors and ensure they are optimized for maritime use.

The Liberty program envisions opening the order book for FNPPs in 2028 and reaching full commercialization by the middle of the next decade.

It is worth mentioning that in addition to design, the company will focus on creating the necessary framework for licensing, insurance and export control.

As for the other development stages, they will, reportedly, focus on the supply chain, workforce, business operations models and manufacturing base.

At the same time, the company will be working together with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) to create a civil liability convention for nuclear-powered ships.

According to CORE POWER, the program will also encompass creating the regulatory framework necessary to operate FNPPs and (later) civil vessels with nuclear propulsion. Furthermore, it will include the supply chains that will enable advanced nuclear reactors to function.

“CORE POWER’s Liberty program will deliver resilient energy security for heavy industry and ocean transport. In doing so, it will revolutionise the maritime sector and transform global trade,” Bøe emphasized.

To note, Bøe laid out this plan in his presentation at the company’s summit in Houston, Texas, which took place on February 12, 2025.

The program takes its name and inspiration from the Liberty ships of World War II, which were mass-produced in the U.S. It is said to reflect the fact that CORE POWER will choose a location in the U.S. to build the initial manufacturing yard for FNPPs.

CORE POWER’s recent activities include partnerships with naval architecture company Glosten and nuclear reactor designer and vendor Westinghouse Electric Company. Both are focused on the development of FNPPs.