The Marine Nuclear Propulsion System (MarNuPS) Pilot project has secured USD$2 million (NOK 20 million) in initial funding from the Research Council of Norway as partners prepare to move maritime nuclear propulsion from system development towards physical integration and testing.
Led by Emerald Nuclear Norway, MarNuPS brings together VARD Group, Vard Electro, Island Offshore, NTNU, Imperial College London and Maskindynamikk. The MarNuPS Pilot will integrate Emerald Nuclear’s 5 MWe Gem Microreactor technology with energy storage, power conversion, vessel power management, automation and bridge control systems.
The Research Council support comes in addition to self-financing by the project partners. Stage 1 of the program alone has an estimated total cost of around USD$15.6 million (NOK 150m).
Stage 1, planned for 2027, will establish an integrated test facility at Stette outside Ålesund. A full-scale representation of the shipboard propulsion system will be assembled and tested using electric heating instead of nuclear fuel, allowing the partners to study how the different systems perform together under conditions representative of vessel operations. Testing will cover normal operation, rapid changes in power demand, transient and stress conditions, system performance and crew interaction.
Island Offshore plans to be the first shipowner to install the reactor and energy system, with vessel deployment targeted for 2031/32.
MarNuPS builds on several years of Norwegian research into maritime nuclear propulsion, including the NTNU-led NuProShip program, in which Emerald Nuclear is also a partner. It is also an important element in the demonstration project tied to SFI SAINT – Sustainable, Applied and Industrialized Nuclear Technology, the national research center that has received USD$10.3 million (NOK 96 million) from the Research Council alongside around USD$21.46 million (NOK 200 million) in industry contributions. Emerald Nuclear is a Tier 1 SAINT member.
