Maersk, Lloyd’s Register, and the Ports of Charleston and Felixstowe are collaborating on nuclear ship propulsion technology. Called the Pink Corridor,

The US Maritime Administration and UK-based Core Power signed an agreement last week to create a fleet of 50 nuclear-powered merchant vessels.

A new project is taking shape to examine what nuclear-powered container shipping would actually require. The so-called Pink Corridor will be led by Lloyd's Register and A.P. Moller-Maersk, working with the ports of Charleston, South Carolina, and Felixstowe in the UK.https://www.maersk.com/about

A conceptual nuclear-powered containership

The project, centred on a conceptual nuclear-powered containership, will map out the port access requirements for such a route. The partners will focus on ship security, safeguards, cyber resilience, emergency response, insurance regimes, and the alignment of maritime and nuclear regulatory expectations. The aim is to identify any gaps and the work required before a corridor can be considered operational.

Nuclear propulsion

Nuclear propulsion is nothing new in the world of commercial shipping. Although attempts in the 1950s and early 1960s failed to gain traction, notable exceptions include the US Atoms for Peace demonstration ship NS Savannah and the Soviet-built Sevmorput, which remains active. Interest has been revived by a new generation of small reactors.

Related: NuProShip II – Pioneering the future of sustainable Marine Propulsion with Nuclear reactors

 An agreement with the UK-based company Core Power

Last week, the US Maritime Administration signed an agreement with the UK-based company Core Power, setting out plans for a fleet of 50 nuclear-powered merchant vessels. The USMA also signed separate deals with the ports of Long Beach and Corpus Christi. Nick Gross, LR's Global Containerships Segment Director, said the partnership takes a practical, collaborative approach to the issues.

The initiative 

The initiative is being pursued within the ambit of the US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal, which was endorsed by the two nations in 2025 with a view to consolidating their collaborative endeavours in the domains of technology and science. While the scope of the deal is broad, a key area is the use of nuclear energy for civil purposes. The US and UK have agreed to collaborate on advanced nuclear reactors and fuels, as well as fusion, with the aim of achieving greater harmonisation of regulatory systems. Another agreement that underpins this announcement is the collaboration that was launched in 2024 by Lloyd’s Register, Maersk and Core Power to develop a nuclear-powered container ship.

Related: Chinese nuclear icebreaker project approved by RINA

The three partners 

 The project would also involve a "European port," the three partners had previously stated, though the specific location was not disclosed at the time. It is also worth noting that the British company Core Power is a key partner in the US strategy to revitalise its maritime sector. Specifically, the company is involved in two recently announced initiatives concerning the development of a nuclear-powered fleet utilising Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), as well as the development of port infrastructure using the same technology, specifically at the ports of Long Beach, California, and Corpus Christi, Texas.

#Maersk #Lloyd’s Register #Core Power #European port#Nick Gross # Corpus Christi#USMA #nuclear ship propulsion #US # ports of Long Beach #(SMRs)