Ulstein has launched ‘ULSTEIN THOR’, a 149m Replenishment, Research and Rescue design which will feature a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) to generate vast amounts of clean, safe electricity.
This will enable the vessel to operate as a mobile power/charging station for a new breed of battery driven cruise ships.
Thorium has been identified as having huge potential for a maritime industry hunting for clean alternative fuels. According to Ulstein, MSRs are safe, efficient and operationally proven solutions that work by dissolving Thorium, an abundant, naturally occurring metal with low radioactivity, in liquid salt.
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The ensuing chain reaction heats the salt, producing steam to drive a turbine and create electricity. Although developments on land are well documented, its potential for delivering clean maritime power has yet to be incorporated into a vessel design.
‘Thor’s’ charging capacity has been scaled to satisfy the power needs of four expedition cruise ships simultaneously. ‘Thor’ itself would never need to refuel. As such, ‘Thor’ is intended to provide a blueprint for entirely self-sufficient vessels of the future.
Speaking about the suitability of Thorium MSRs as an energy source for maritime applications, Jan Emblemsvåg, Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, an expert in the field of Thorium and nuclear power generation, notes:
MSRs have enormous potential for enabling clean shipping. There is so much uncertainty over future fuels, but here we have an abundant energy source that, with the right approach, can be safe, much more efficient, cheaper, with a smaller environmental footprint than any existing alternative
