[matt_the_bass]

I came across this topic when I read about a proposed MSR powered ship. I’ve yet to see a solution for powering ships via renewables. Ships also require a relatively small reactor (since they are only powering the ship) compared to a land based reactor which will power a region. So this could be the use case needed to bring such tech to fruition.

[socialdemocrat]

Ships are not that complex to solve. You could use a combination of batteries, green hydrogen and/or synthetic fuels.

Ships with reactors will not work. That will turn into a paperwork nightmare in every harbor it enters.

[jabl]

While I'm slightly bullish on MSR's in general, I think a MSR on a ship is not a good idea. A thin-skinned reactor vessel (one of the big advantages of MSR's as they operate at atmospheric pressure) with a fuel salt that is(?) water-soluble sounds like a disaster in case of a ship sinking.

At least with a traditional water-cooled reactor there's very thick walls for the seawater to corrode through, and then the fuel itself is in a relatively inert oxide form. Similarly for a lead-cooled reactor, when the ship sinks the lead would solidify creating a big radiation protection armor around the fuel elements.

[ncmncm]

Ships will be retrofitted to tank and burn ammonia in existing engines. Ammonia liquifies at room temperature under low pressure.

The conversion will be accelerated by restrictions on docking bunker-oil burners.