|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The United States and the United Kingdom have signed a groundbreaking Technical Prosperity Deal that places a strong emphasis on advancing maritime nuclear technologies, including floating nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered merchant ships. The agreement was announced yesterday by President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The White House described the deal as “a landmark science and technology agreement that will propel the U.S.–U.K. special relationship to new heights for the technological age, and deliver wins for the American people and American innovation globally.”
While the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) covers broad collaboration in artificial intelligence, a significant focus has been placed on civil nuclear energy. This emphasis has been warmly welcomed by long-standing advocates of nuclear-powered merchant shipping, including CORE Power and the Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization (NEMO).
Mikal Bøe, CEO of CORE Power, praised the agreement, noting: “This agreement between two leading nuclear and maritime nations recognizes the economic benefit of civil maritime nuclear and that 2025 is the year it begins to go mainstream. CORE Power has established close partnerships in both countries to build reactors suitable for maritime use, shape the regulatory environment for rapid deployment, and engage the shipbuilding sector on vessel design. CORE Power stands ready to complete development of the civil maritime nuclear sector alongside the U.S. and U.K. Governments in a true public-private partnership for our common economic success.”
Admiral (Ret.) John Richardson, former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations and a CORE Power board member, highlighted the broader implications of the deal: “Our two nations have long had a special and mutually supportive relationship across all elements of national power. Now is the time for our combined expertise, industrial strength, and shared commitment to accelerate the deployment of safe, secure, and reliable new nuclear power in the maritime environment to strengthen our energy security and resilience.”
NEMO also welcomed the agreement, emphasizing that the expanded transatlantic partnership will accelerate the development of regulatory, safety, and operational frameworks for maritime nuclear technologies, including floating nuclear power plants and nuclear-fueled merchant ships.
In a statement, NEMO said: “A strengthened bilateral partnership is a significant milestone in global efforts to decarbonize shipping and coastal industrial end-users, improve resilience of logistics networks, and promote safe, sustainable maritime nuclear deployment. By combining U.S. and U.K. technical expertise, regulatory leadership, research capacity, and industrial capability, this partnership will help align international frameworks and ensure that nuclear maritime applications proceed on a foundation of excellence in safety, security, environmental protection, and sustainability.”
