As the maritime industry continues working towards its decarbonisation goals, nuclear propulsion appears as an alternative, clean and net-zero emissions energy. While the technology is relatively new, there exists cases where the technology is applied in maritime vessels, such as submarines and Soviet Icebreakers.
Challenges still exist, such as economic factors; regulatory hurdles including restricted port access and liability frameworks; public perception where there are fears about safety.
Conducted by Dr Khorshed Alam, the first run of the Nuclear Propulsion course took place on 2 May 2025 at SSA Boardroom. 16 members took part in the course, which gave an in-depth introduction to nuclear propulsion, from the history and science behind nuclear energy to safety and operational considerations for maritime applications; illustrated by case studies and real-world applications.
Mr. Tan Wei Ming from Eastern Navigation found the course meaningful, and that it gave “a better understanding on the choices available to an alternative energy at the moment”.
For future runs of the course, please visit the SSA courses calendar to be notified on the upcoming training dates.