ABB and Blykalla signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support and accelerate the deployment of advanced lead-cooled Small Modular Reactors to the maritime industry, expanding an October 2024 MoU focused on Sweden’s clean-energy needs.
The companies cite growing momentum for nuclear as a marine power source, noting that in June the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 110) approved recommendations to update the Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships.
Blykalla, with over two decades of research into lead-cooled systems and proprietary materials for marine environments, says its Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor (SEALER) is a passively safe reactor in a highly compact format and is already under evaluation for maritime use as part of early adaptation efforts.
SEALER was one of three reactors identified in the Nuclear Propulsion for Merchant Ships I (NuProShip I) project to adapt a Generation IV SMR to the requirements of larger ships. ABB will contribute system integration along with power distribution, control and automation technologies.
The MoU sets out plans to evaluate integration pathways, conduct joint feasibility assessments, and engage with classification societies and regulators to prepare for deployment.
Blykalla is a Swedish developer of advanced Small Modular Reactors that is commercializing lead-cooled fast reactors for industrial use. The company says it has backing from partners including Uniper, ABB, OKG and the Royal Institute of Technology and positions its projects to provide baseload energy for applications such as AI and other clean-industry power needs.