Lloyd’s Register (LR) and A.P. Moller–Maersk have joined ports in the UK and US to examine the operational, security and safeguarding requirements for nuclear-powered container shipping across the Atlantic.
The Pink Corridor project will use a hypothetical route between the Port of Felixstowe in the UK and the Port of Charleston in the US to assess the conditions required for a nuclear-powered containership to operate between the two ports.
The project brings together Lloyd’s Register, A.P. Moller–Maersk, the Port of Felixstowe and the Port of Charleston.
The study is centred on a conceptual nuclear-powered containership and will examine theoretical port access together with the operational and regulatory conditions associated with such a service.
Areas under review include security, nuclear safeguards, cyber resilience, emergency response and insurance regimes. The project will also examine the alignment of maritime and nuclear regulatory requirements.
The work is intended to identify practical requirements, gaps and areas requiring further study before nuclear-powered commercial shipping could operate on an international route.
The transatlantic connection between Felixstowe and Charleston will be used as a case study for examining how these requirements could apply across the UK and US.
The project reflects growing interest in nuclear technology as a potential long-term propulsion option for commercial shipping.
Results from the initial phase will help define the scope of a potential second phase covering engineering, regulatory, legislative, security and safeguards issues.
