Samsung develops 'floating nuclear power plant'

China Energy Storage Network: As countries around the world increasingly develop technologies to reduce their carbon footprint, compact floating nuclear power plants are becoming a new competitive technology. To this end, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Seaborg have signed a cooperation agreement to develop floating nuclear power plants based on Seaborg's Compact Molten Salt Reactor (CMSR), ready to be moored in industrial ports and connected to the onshore power grid. The agreement includes the development of a hydrogen production plant and an ammonia plant that can be mass-produced to expand applications.

The floating nuclear power plant is a turnkey product, ready to be moored in an industrial port. In the port, a transmission cable will be connected to the grid on shore. An optional solution is to place a hydrogen or ammonia production plant next to the floating nuclear power plant, using CO2-free fission energy to produce hydrogen and ammonia.

The floating nuclear power plant is designed to be modular and provide up to 800 MW of electricity over its 24-year lifespan, at a competitive cost whether it is connected to the grid at an existing coal port or to power generation from hydrogen and ammonia.

"CMSR is a carbon-free energy source that can effectively address climate change issues and is a next-generation technology that fits the vision of Samsung Heavy Industries," said Jintaek Jung, president of Samsung Heavy Industries. "In addition, when an abnormal signal occurs inside the reactor, the liquid nuclear fuel molten salt solidifies to prevent serious accidents at the source while providing high safety and efficient electricity and hydrogen production. Through this cooperation agreement, we plan to develop the floating nuclear power plant market based on CMSR and open up new business opportunities in the future."

Troels Schönfeldt, CEO and co-founder of Seaborg, said: "We are honored and proud to have established this partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries, one of the largest and most experienced shipbuilders in the world. This is another step in our quest to introduce a new generation of clean and safe nuclear reactors that can be built using industrial technology, with all the benefits of scalability, speed and lower costs. Stable energy production also provides the basis for the production of all Power-2-X fuels, especially hydrogen and ammonia, which are considered future energy sources to replace traditional fossil fuels."