SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Samsung Heavy Industries said on Monday it has received preliminary certification for its floating nuclear power platform equipped with small modular reactors, marking a key step in its push into the emerging maritime nuclear energy market.
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) granted Approval in Principle (AIP) for Samsung Heavy’s Floating Small Modular Reactor (FSMR) design, which incorporates two SMART 100 reactors developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the company said.
The SMART 100 is a 100-megawatt integrated small modular reactor that received standard design approval from South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission in September 2024.
Under the project, Samsung Heavy integrated the SMR technology with a floating structure. It carried out the overall design of the nuclear power facility and developed a multi-barrier reactor containment system, while KAERI modified the reactor design for maritime use.
Ahn Young-kyu, head of Samsung Heavy’s technology development division, described the certification as a “significant milestone” in the company’s efforts to pioneer the maritime nuclear power sector.
“We will continue to secure safe and economical maritime nuclear technologies by leveraging our expertise in floating structures,” Ahn said in a press release.
Samsung Heavy said the FSMR is a flexible floating nuclear facility concept capable of accommodating different SMR types. Its compartment-based design allows the reactor section to be adapted without altering the overall platform structure, improving scalability and construction efficiency.
Safety and efficiency are further enhanced by housing the reactor and key safety systems within a single containment module, enabling land-based testing before offshore installation, the company said.
Cho Jin-young, director of KAERI’s Advanced Reactor Research Division, said the approval validated the competitiveness of South Korea’s SMR technology.
“This AIP certification using SMART 100 demonstrates the innovation of our nuclear technology,” Cho said. “We will accelerate development to establish South Korea as a leader in the marine nuclear industry.”
* This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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