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Risks are still too great for take-up of nuclear ships

Aug 29

Written by: ChrisHaley
Sunday, 29 August 2010 

Risks are still too great for take=up of nuclear ships
Hans Payer
Monday 28 June 2010

In Germany in the 1970s the nuclear-powered bulk carrier Otto Hahn was still operating and carrying iron ore from Brazil to selected European ports. In addition, extensive research and design projects on nuclear-powered ships were being carried out with the support of the German Ministry of Research. It was decided at that time that because of their large power requirements, nuclear propulsion would be best suited to the big container ships.

It is a requirement for land-based nuclear power plants to be protected against being accidentally struck by aircraft. However, in the case of ships, the national maritime authorities stipulated that nuclear-powered vessels had to be able to withstand a collision with another ship of any type without the ship’s reactor being endangered.

The design of a large container carrier with nuclear propulsion therefore had to include a side barrier — not present in the Otto Hahn — strong enough to withstand the severest collision impact of another vessel. Large-scale experiments were conducted to determine the collision energy created by different types of striking ship, along with the design and construction of their bow structures. They showed that both the V-shaped bows of older ships as well as modern bulbous bows were crucial factors. Extensive calculations were performed for the side structure, taking into account the various forces and collision energy. It turned out to be very difficult to sufficiently strengthen the sides of nuclear ships to assure the protection of the nuclear plant.

That was one of the reasons why this project was stopped. Public opposition to nuclear energy has largely increased since that time. In my view, that is unfortunate because nuclear energy from land-based reactors is clean and could be abundant. Engineers obviously have to do everything possible to minimise or eliminate risk, and that can be achieved with modern technology. It is, however, not possible to do this with reactors that are installed in ships that are plying the seas and oceans.

Nuclear power is therefore not a sensible option for ships, particularly considering the added risk, which did not exist in the 1970s, of piracy and terrorism.

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