New consortium to explore floating nuclear power for Mediterranean energy needs

July 3, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), UK-based maritime nuclear innovation company CORE POWER, and Greek nuclear energy company Athlos Energy have established a consortium to assess the feasibility of deploying floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) in the Mediterranean Sea.

Illustration only; Archive; Courtesy of CORE POWER

As disclosed, the initiative will focus on evaluating how FNPPs could support the energy needs of islands, ports, and coastal communities in the region. Specifically, the group intends to research how such platforms can potentially unlock a range of applications, including the establishment of grid-scale electricity to remote locations, the delivery of emission-free energy to ports, and the distribution of clean energy to desalination plants that could provide potable water to drought-affected coastal communities.

It is understood that the consortium will develop original FNPP concepts of operations (CONOPS) and publish a visual display of their prospective locations. The ABS Global Ship Systems Center, based in Athens, Greece, is expected to lead a political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) study alongside stakeholders to assess the feasibility of adapting CONOPS to supply power and other benefits in the Aegean Sea. Reportedly, the key output of this collaboration will be an open-access white paper for use by industry, policymakers, and government.

Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman and CEO of ABS, stated: “As global efforts accelerate to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiencies and strengthen energy security, the use of small modular reactors on floating platforms could offer a viable alternative. Floating nuclear power facilities show promise in supporting power grids, microgrids, industrial and port operations and data centers, among others.”

Mikal Bøe, CEO of CORE POWER, commented: “FNPPs can revolutionize the way we deliver reliable and affordable nuclear energy to provide vital carbon-free energy security to islands and coastal infrastructure in the Mediterranean. By constructing and mass-assembling a fleet of FNPPs in shipyards, we can deliver clean nuclear energy on time and budget, solving many of the largest energy challenges we face. CORE POWER is delighted to partner with industry leaders, ABS and Athlos, on this project.”

Dionysios Chionis, Co-founder of Athlos Energy, remarked: “As Greece reconsiders its energy future, the role of nuclear power is increasingly back on the agenda. This study marks an important first step in accessing the feasibility of deploying floating nuclear reactors in the Aegean Sea.”

In other news, in 2025, ABS issued approval in principle (AIP) to the affiliates of South Korean conglomerate HD Hyundai – HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) – for a concept of a floating small modular reactor (SMR) unit. Furthermore, in partnership with naval architecture specialist Herbert Engineering Corp (HEC), the classification society published a study on floating nuclear-powered data centers, detailing design considerations for such centers that support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and cryptocurrencies.

It is also worth noting that in early 2025, CORE POWER partnered with naval architecture company Glosten for the design of an FNPP for ports in the U.S. Moreover, the company launched a U.S.-anchored maritime civil nuclear program, titled Liberty, that aims to bring floating nuclear power to market by the mid-2030s.