Classification society DNV has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for a 15,000-TEU container vessel powered by Small Modular Reactor (SMR, reports Athens Safety4Sea.

The vessel design features a supercritical CO2-based power generation system, offering higher thermal efficiency and a smaller equipment footprint than traditional steam systems. It is designed to operate at 24 knots.

DNV reviewed the concept against SOLAS Chapter VIII and the IMO Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships. The AiP marks a significant step in applying nuclear propulsion to commercial shipping amid growing decarbonisation efforts.

HD KSOE chief technology officer Dr Kwangpil Chang said the design prioritises safety and includes a novel shielding and containment system to ensure reactor integrity during collisions, groundings or sinkings.

The AiP follows a May 2025 HAZID workshop in Oslo, where HD KSOE and DNV assessed potential risks and accident scenarios. The review covered the vessel's main functions, power supply and safety systems.

The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 110) has tasked its Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction to begin revising nuclear safety codes at its January 2026 session.

The AiP comes nearly two months after Samsung Heavy Industries and KAERI received the world's first AiP for an LNG carrier powered by a small modular molten salt reactor.