The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is throwing its weight behind White House efforts to build nuclear reactors at maritime ports, saying the small modular reactors (SMRs) could provide a source of power for cranes through the night.
“We are witnessing an undeniable momentum for nuclear energy at ports across the maritime industry,” Sang Yi, AAPA’s president and CEO, said in a release.
“Key partnerships have emerged across the country to examine port microgrids, shoreside power, and emerging vessel propulsion technology applications. These partnerships envision broader potential for SMRs beyond propelling cargo ships across oceans to include a source of job creation for American workers and a source of power for cranes through the night. A diverse energy portfolio, including expanded grid connections, energy storage, microgrids, and other emerging technologies like SMRs, will be the answer. Undoubtedly, nuclear technology must meet rigorous safety, security, environmental, and regulatory standards. AAPA is working across industries for clear federal permitting responsibilities and strong emergency-response protocols developed with the U.S. Coast Guard through meaningful public and stakeholder engagement. America’s ports are gateways to the global economy and require reliable, resilient, and sufficient power to keep American commerce moving,” Yi said.
Additional support for the concept came from the ports of Long Beach and Corpus Christi.
“When you look at the different options that are on the table, small modular reactor has already been used by the US Navy for seventy years, it’s been adopted in different sectors and industries across the globe. Thanks to federal leadership at the US maritime administration and to start ups like Bluecore who is a tenant at the Port of Long Beach now, we can now leverage federal leadership and private sector innovate to explore fully the adoption of SMR technology to power the port of the future,” said Noel Hacegaba, CEO, Port of Long Beach.
Likewise, Jeff Pollack, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi, said: “The Port of Corpus Chrsiti’s partnership with CORE POWER on a site-specific feasibility study of the technical, logistical, and regulatory feasibility of deploying Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPPs) and receiving nuclear propelled vessels is a critical step toward advancing nuclear applications in maritime. We are excited about producing the first end-to-end evaluation of nuclear readiness on an existing maritime trade route.”
