Maersk is participating in industry studies examining what would be required for nuclear-powered container ships to make routine port calls, with the work centered on regulation, safety, security and port operations rather than an immediate vessel-ordering program. According to foreign media reports, the Danish carrier—the world’s second-largest by capacity—sees nuclear energy as one potential long-term zero-emission pathway but has said the work should not be interpreted as a commitment to deploy nuclear propulsion.
What Happened
Maersk joined Lloyd’s Register and reactor developer Core Power in 2024 to assess the regulatory feasibility of operating a containership using a fourth-generation nuclear reactor at a European port. The study focused on a feeder vessel, a smaller containership used to connect regional ports with major hub terminals. A subsequent case study involving the Port of Rotterdam evaluated calls by a hypothetical 3,600-TEU Maersk feeder vessel.
The participants concluded that the core obstacles were largely regulatory and governance-related rather than purely technical, including nuclear-specific port safety procedures, emergency preparedness, physical protection, liability, insurance and coordination between maritime and nuclear authorities.
In September, Maersk and Lloyd’s Register announced a conceptual UK-U.S. “Pink Corridor” project involving the ports of Felixstowe and Charleston, S.C. The initiative is intended to study safeguards and security requirements for a potential transatlantic nuclear-powered containership service. The first phase will consider ship security, nuclear safeguards, cyber resilience, emergency response, insurance and the alignment of maritime and nuclear regulations. Its findings could define a later phase examining engineering, legal, legislative and safeguards requirements in greater detail.
Background
The Charleston project arrives amid wider U.S. government interest in commercial maritime nuclear power. The U.S. Department of Energy and classification society ABS signed an agreement to examine nuclear-powered vessels, floating nuclear power applications, and the port, shipyard and industrial infrastructure needed to support them. The U.S. Maritime Administration and Core Power have entered a cooperation agreement on maritime-nuclear frameworks for a prospective U.S.-flag fleet. Separately, the Port of Long Beach and Marad recently signed a first-of-its-kind partnership to develop small modular reactors for commercial vessels, port operations and other maritime uses. Bluecore Energy is developing a 10-megawatt floating reactor concept at the port, though no operating reactor or regulatory approval is in place.
Impact on Shippers
Nuclear-powered container ships remain in the research phase and will not change capacity supply or rate structures on China-US routes in the near term, so shippers do not need to adjust booking strategies for now. In the longer term, if nuclear propulsion achieves breakthroughs in regulation and safety, it could offer a new zero-emission option for ocean transport, potentially affecting fleet fuel costs and compliance pathways. Currently, the studies focus on European and transatlantic routes and do not yet involve the transpacific, so there is no direct impact on transit times, costs or customs clearance for China exports to the U.S.
Recommendations
Shippers should continue to monitor conventional fuel and alternative fuel cost pass-throughs rather than nuclear ship developments. At this stage, it is advisable to maintain existing channel mixes, secure space as needed, and watch for carrier rate announcements driven by environmental compliance costs. For time-sensitive cargo, prioritize lanes with stable schedules and avoid over-adjusting logistics plans due to long-term technology uncertainty.