Analysis of Government Applications for Derisking Commercial Maritime Nuclear Applications

The opportunity

USCMI is seeking participants for a collaborative project on the application of small modular reactors (SMRs) and other advanced nuclear technologies to the maritime sector. The project will assess existing and prospective government applications with maritime relevance to identify transferable lessons, precedents and enabling approaches that can reduce technical, regulatory, programmatic and commercialization risk.

The analysis will review government programs, policies, pilot projects and use cases, including naval nuclear propulsion, U.S. Department of Energy microreactor and advanced reactor demonstrations, national laboratory SMR research, NASA space nuclear systems, and pilot initiatives involving nuclear-powered autonomous vessels or floating nuclear power plants. It will compare approaches to regulatory approval, safety case development, security and safeguards, public acceptance, supply chains, workforce readiness, waste management and decommissioning.

USCMI will execute this project as Secretariat Managed. The Secretariat will select and engage multiple organizations to carry out the defined Scope of Work as a collective group. At least one facilitated, interactive stakeholder engagement will review the assembled research, with outcomes summarized in a report planned for public release.

This is a funded project, and participants may receive funding based on role and level of effort. The project budget includes up to $350K for analytic support. USCMI funding is prioritized for domestic entities as recipients.

USCMI will respect all project team members’ intellectual property rights in compliance with applicable federal law and the project agreements governing the scope of work.

Why it matters

The U.S. maritime industry is pursuing greater competitiveness and maritime energy independence. Nuclear propulsion offers high energy density and operational endurance, but commercial adoption faces regulatory uncertainty, public-perception challenges, technical integration issues and cost concerns.

Government nuclear programs offer experience that may help address these barriers. This project will determine which technical solutions, regulatory precedents, institutional arrangements and lessons can transfer to commercial maritime applications, where gaps remain, and which future government applications offer the greatest potential to reduce commercial development and approval risk.

What the project will cover

• Project framing and candidate screening: establish an assessment framework, identify relevant government applications, gather industry feedback and prioritize candidates for detailed evaluation.
• Comparative assessment: develop case studies, examine regulatory and approvals pathways, assess program execution, and map enabling factors, barriers and transferable lessons to commercial maritime uses.
• Future government application concepts: identify and evaluate concepts that advance public-sector missions while reducing risk for commercial maritime nuclear applications.
• Final reporting and technology transfer: prepare a final report, executive briefing and agreed materials to communicate findings and recommendations.

Assessment scenarios include government maritime nuclear propulsion, floating or port-adjacent nuclear power generation, advanced reactor demonstrations, and other mission-driven applications with analogous challenges, such as space or remote power systems.

Participant roles

Who can participate

The invitation seeks stakeholders for analytic and stakeholder input roles. Eligible applicants include small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, private institutions of higher education, public and state institutions of higher education, and nonprofit or not-for-profit organizations.

USCMI funding is prioritized for domestic entities as recipients. Participation and funding may be refined as proposals are received and selections are made.