Nuclear Ships Just Cleared Three Design Reviews, But They're Potentially Decades From Trading Port to Port
Three separate approvals in principle for nuclear-powered commercial ships have been granted since June 2026: to a Korean consortium's molten salt reactor container ship, to a Japanese firm's small pressurized water reactor (SPWR) vessel, and to a US-based company's integral pressurized water reactor (iPWR) ship. These design reviews mark significant milestones in the development of nuclear-powered vessels, but significant technical and regulatory hurdles remain before these ships can begin trading on the open seas.