UK-based maritime nuclear technologies developer CORE POWER, class society ABS, and start-up Athlos Energy, a Greek company specializing in the nuclear industry, will explore the potential of deploying floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) in the Mediterranean Sea, with a specific focus on Greece.
The joint effort will assess how floating nuclear platforms, powered by small modular reactors, can address growing energy demands in remote and coastal areas.
This includes supplying grid-scale electricity to islands, supporting zero-emission port operations, and powering desalination plants to provide potable water in drought-affected regions.
The project comes as the maritime and energy sectors face mounting pressure to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy resilience.
“FNPPs can revolutionise the way we deliver reliable and affordable nuclear energy,” said Mikal Bøe, CEO of CORE POWER. “By constructing and mass-assembling a fleet of FNPPs in shipyards, we can deliver clean nuclear energy on time, and on budget, solving many of the largest energy challenges we face.”
The project will develop original FNPP concepts of operations (CONOPS) and generate visual models of proposed deployment sites.
A central focus will be the feasibility of operating these platforms in the Aegean Sea, where demand for clean energy and water is rising in tandem with regulatory and environmental concerns.
“Floating nuclear power facilities show promise in supporting power grids, microgrids, industrial and port operations, and even data centers,” said ABS chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki.
Dionysios Chionis, co-founder of Athlos Energy, added: “As Greece reconsiders its energy future, the role of nuclear power is increasingly back on the agenda. This study marks an important first step in assessing the feasibility of deploying floating nuclear reactors in the Aegean Sea.”
