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Feature


          Crew lists will need to be


          “enriched” with



          “nuclear scientists”

























                                           Panos Deligiannis believes that nuclear energy offers
                                           a viable pathway to decarbonisation and asserts
                                           that a unified global regulatory framework would
                                           accelerate the adoption of nuclear-powered ships.

                                           Can nuclear-powered ships help the   tion, requires no maintenance, and does
                                               industry meet the IMO decarbon-  not, or rarely requires, refuelling. It has
                                               isation targets by 2050?  What     unlimited commercial scope, allowing
                                               are the pros and cons of nuclear   for increased payload.
                                               propulsion systems compared to   The main disadvantages are related to
                                               conventional ones?            radiation risk and concerns about pro-
                                           I strongly believe in nuclear-powered   liferation. Additionally, a regulatory/
                                           shipping as a means of effective decar-  licensing framework is still lacking,
                                           bonisation. In 2020, a Joint Energy Ini-  and there is uncertainty regarding the
                                           tiative (JIP) was formed between NEDA,   insurance regime. Other significant dis-
                                           old colleagues at NCSR “DEMOKRITOS”,    advantages include the complex waste
                                           and  the National Graduate School     management and the appropriate infra-
                                           of Engineering of Caen in France with   structure requirements for nuclear S/Y,
                                           the aim of investigating nuclear pro-  ports, terminals, etc. Finally, the lack
          Opinions expressed by            pulsion for a  VLCC and  the  types    of social acceptance, as well as the sci-
          Dr Panos Deligiannis,            of next-generation reactors that can   entific crew requirements, must be taken
          Head of Shipping at ECOLOG
                                           fit a large commercial shipping profile,     into consideration.
                                           taking into account the benefits and
                                           drawbacks. Contrary to Joseph M. Duk-  What do you think is required to drive
                                           ert’s statement, we placed a nuclear   the adoption of nuclear-pow-
                                           reactor in a hull designed initially for   ered ships: technological break-
                                           conventional fuel; however, it served     throughs, regulatory changes, or
                                           the purpose of the initial approach.  demand from charterers?
                                           The primary advantages of a nuclear-   Today, there is long experience with LWR-
                                           powered ship are that it utilises a carbon-   type thermal reactors in warships and
                                           free fuel, which has high energy density   submarines. However, the commercial-
                                           and a minimal ecological footprint. Its   isation of nuclear propulsion requires,
                                           engine provides reliable power genera-  firstly, the regulatory coupling of the

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