China Unveils Design for 24,000-TEU Nuclear Ship
CHINA has unveiled a design for a giant containership powered by a nuclear reactor that will offer near zero emissions, according to a report in the South China Morning Post.
The design for the new ship – now known as the KUN-24AP – was unveiled by the Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard. If built it would be one of the largest ocean-going containerships in the world at 24,000 TEU.
Unlike the nuclear reactors found on warships powered by uranium, this new reactor is likely to use a radioactive metal called thorium, which is abundant and inexpensive in China. The reactor will not need large amounts of water to cool down, making it safer and more efficient.
The technology is complex, and most countries have given up on trying to develop it after decades of fruitless efforts, including the United States which looked into the possibility of using it to power a long-range bomber. China has however persevered and earlier this year, got the first thorium-based molten salt running in the Gobi desert.
The scientists involved in this project have said that such reactors can be installed in almost any location, including ships, and their small size allows them to be used for many different purposes. Most of the research carried out for the project is classified – perhaps because of the technology’s possible military uses – and little information has been made available.
The unveiling suggests China now has considerable confidence in the technology and is ready to promote it to the rest of the world.
