Glosten Joins Core Power's Nuclear Power Barge Project

 

Maritime nuclear power startup Core Power has partnered with Glosten to design a floating nuclear power plant that could be installed at U.S. ports to provide a boost to the local grid. The barge-based design could produce about 175GWh of clean power per year, solving clean-power challenges for ports and increasing energy security - and all at a favorable price.

"Over 80% of the cost of nuclear power on land is in civil construction, with reactors and power systems accounting for less than 20%. FNPPs will be shipyard-manufactured and mass-assembled, ensuring delivery speed and low costs," said Mikal Boe, CEO of Core Power. 

The idea of a nuclear power barge dates back to the early 1960s, when the U.S. Army decided to build a 10 MW powerplant inside the hull of an old Liberty ship. This mobile power station - the MH-1A Sturgis - was moored in the Panama Canal Zone and provided supplementary power from the late 1960s into the mid-1970s. Russian state energy agency Rosatom revived the concept in the 2000s with the design and construction of the Akademik Lomonosov, a one-of-a-kind 70 MW power station built around two icebreaker propulsion reactors. 

Core Power envisions a future for scalable floating nuclear power plants at U.S. seaports, and Glosten will work with Core Power to turn the concept into reality. Its scope of work includes the barge operational concept, design, regulatory path, site location approvals, and identification of potential suppliers for fabrication and installation.  

"Glosten’s job is to turn Core Power's vision into a design that demonstrates the practicality of providing reliable, zero-emissions nuclear power to port facilities and has a defined path to regulatory approval," said Morgan Fanberg, CEO of Glosten.