The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a global initiative, ATLAS, to support the development of nuclear-powered ships and floating nuclear power plants.

Announced at a launch event in Washington D.C., the initiative brings together governments, regulators, maritime companies and port authorities to address the safety, security and regulatory issues surrounding nuclear technology at sea, the IAEA said in a press release last Wednesday. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi was joined by U.S. Secretary of Energy Christopher Wright at the ATLAS Ministerial Launch Event.

According to the IAEA, advances in reactor and fuel technology could allow some nuclear-powered vessels to enter service as early as the 2030s.

Nuclear power could enable ships to operate for long periods without refuelling, while floating nuclear plants could supply electricity, heat and desalination to remote areas and offshore industries. The interest from the maritime sector comes as international shipping, which carries the bulk of world trade, faces pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions under targets agreed at the International Maritime Organization, including a goal of net-zero emissions from shipping around 2050. Nuclear propulsion, which produces no operational CO2 emissions, is one of the options being studied as the industry weighs alternatives such as ammonia, methanol and other low-carbon fuels.

Nuclear propulsion itself is not new at sea: naval vessels, including submarines and aircraft carriers operated by several navies, have used reactors for decades, and civilian nuclear icebreakers have long served Russian Arctic routes. However, commercial merchant shipping has never adopted the technology, largely because of regulatory gaps, insurance questions and public acceptance concerns — the very issues the new initiative's six expert groups are meant to address, alongside port access for nuclear-powered vessels.

A total of 25 countries have backed the initiative, which will now move into practical work through six expert groups focused on safety, security, safeguards and regulation.

"By bringing together the nuclear and maritime sectors, we have the opportunity to shape the future of two crucial industries — energy and shipping — and to build global confidence in the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technology at sea," Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, said.