Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) announced Wednesday that Samsung Heavy Industries has obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for a floating small modular reactor (FSMR) platform based on SMART100.
SMART100 is Korea's first fully passive small modular reactor (SMR) developed by KAERI. As a light-water SMR that received standard design approval in 2024, it is an export-ready reactor that can be constructed immediately based on proven technology.
AiP is a formal procedure in which a classification society reviews the design or technology of a new vessel to verify compliance with international regulations and safety standards before proceeding with actual vessel development.
ABS is an international classification society that establishes safety standards for ships and verifies compliance. The world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship, N.S. Savannah, was classed and operated under ABS rules. In September, ABS also granted basic approval for a molten salt reactor (MSR)-equipped LNG carrier jointly developed by KAERI and Samsung Heavy Industries.
SMART100 is a 110-megawatt (MW) integrated pressurized light-water reactor designed to maximize safety, economic efficiency, and versatility.
The reactor was developed through enhanced design improvements to SMART, the world's first SMR to receive standard design approval in 2012. The upgrades include increased reactor output (thermal output from 330 MW to 365 MW, electrical output from 100 MW to 110 MW), introduction of fully passive safety systems, and installation of automatic seismic shutdown equipment reflecting post-Fukushima measures.
Passive safety systems refer to systems that can implement safety measures during accidents using natural forces such as gravity and fluid density differences, along with stored energy, without requiring electrical power for core and containment cooling.
The two organizations analyzed environmental differences and impacts to convert SMART100 from a land-based to a maritime SMR, and developed new containment vessel and passive safety system concepts for installation on floating structures.
The AiP from ABS for this SMART100-based floating nuclear platform demonstrates the technology's safety credentials.
Going forward, both organizations plan to actively continue research and development to bring the floating nuclear platform to fruition.
"This AiP acquisition using the Korean SMR SMART100 demonstrates the innovativeness of our nuclear technology," said Cho Jin-young, director of KAERI's Advanced Reactor Research Institute. "KAERI will accelerate technology development so that Korea can establish itself as a leading nation in the maritime nuclear industry."
"This AiP is an important milestone for pioneering the offshore nuclear power generation market," said Ahn Young-kyu, executive vice president and head of Samsung Heavy Industries' Technology Development Division. "Samsung Heavy Industries will continue to develop safe and economical offshore nuclear plants based on our offshore plant technology capabilities."
