IAEA launches ATLAS maritime nuclear program as MARAD, Core Power, and Newcleo announce parallel initiatives

On August 26–27, the International Atomic Energy Agency gathered energy ministers, industry leaders, and government officials in Washington, D.C., to formally launch ATLAS—the Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea program. Already backed by 25 countries, the initiative is designed to support nuclear technology in civilian shipping and floating power plants.

The forum drew senior figures including IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Within days of the launch, MARAD, Core Power, and Newcleo each announced separate but closely related projects—signaling that maritime nuclear is moving from concept to coordinated action across both public and private sectors.

IAEA formally launches ATLAS with backing from 25 countries

ATLAS didn’t come out of nowhere. The International Atomic Energy Agency had been watching interest build across both public and private sectors, and the Washington forum was its formal answer—a structured, multilateral framework to channel that momentum into something concrete.

The MOC establishes a framework to accelerate the commercial, industrial, and regulatory pathway for a future fleet of U.S.-flagged nuclear-powered merchant ships.

The initiative’s scope is broad. Potential applications range from powering remote coastal communities and extending the range of commercial ships to supporting disaster response and serving offshore industries where conventional infrastructure simply isn’t available.

DOE Secretary Chris Wright kept it practical at the forum. “The work accomplished at this Ministerial brings us closer to turning the promise of offshore nuclear energy and nuclear-powered shipping into commercial reality,” he said. IAEA Director General Grossi was equally direct: “ATLAS is launching at precisely the right time.”

Why ATLAS was created: Safety, regulation, and deployment gaps

Maritime nuclear technology isn’t a new idea—but it’s never had a coordinated global framework to govern it. Safety standards, security requirements, safeguards, and regulatory rules vary significantly across jurisdictions, creating a fragmented environment that makes any serious commercial push complicated.

ATLAS is designed to fix that. Six IAEA expert groups will develop an integrated framework covering all those areas simultaneously, while accounting for actual deployment scenarios across different vessel types and floating installations. The timeline is concrete: some designs could be ready for deployment as early as the 2030s—close enough to shape decisions being made right now by governments, shipbuilders, and reactor developers.

Core Power and MARAD sign first federal-private maritime nuclear cooperation agreement

Two days before the ATLAS forum opened, Core Power and MARAD announced something that hadn’t existed before—a first-of-its-kind memorandum of cooperation between a federal agency and a private company focused specifically on nuclear-powered merchant shipping.

The MOC establishes a framework to accelerate the commercial, industrial, and regulatory pathway for a future fleet of U.S.-flagged nuclear-powered merchant ships. Core Power is targeting 2028 for initial construction, though the company was careful to note that timeline depends on regulatory, commercial, and industrial readiness—and that the MOC isn’t a procurement contract or a commitment of federal funds.

Core Power CEO Mikal Bøe didn’t mince words. “China is already moving toward nuclear-powered commercial shipping,” he said. “That should focus minds in Washington.” His message to government was direct: set the direction, coordinate the effort, and let private industry move the money and the steel.

Newcleo leads consortium to design a nuclear barge carrying multiple 200-MWe reactors

On the same day ATLAS launched, Paris-based reactor developer Newcleo announced a separate but thematically aligned project. The company will lead a consortium—alongside classification firm Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore and engineering firm ABMI Groupe—to develop a conceptual design for a floating nuclear barge.

The concept, called “n-Floating,” would host multiple 200-MWe lead-cooled fast reactors based on Newcleo’s LFR-AS-200 design. Non-self-propelled, it functions as a stationary power platform rather than a ship. The project already has nearly €1 million ($1.1 million) in funding, with roughly 18 months expected to complete the conceptual phase.

Newcleo CEO Stefano Buono put it plainly: “Maritime deployment of advanced reactors opens a broader and still largely unexplored market for nuclear energy. Floating nuclear offers an opportunity to bring reliable, low-carbon power to applications at sea and in coastal locations.”

Background: Growing momentum for nuclear power at sea

These announcements didn’t arrive in isolation. Just before the ATLAS forum, MARAD had already announced a separate partnership with the Port of Corpus Christi to explore small modular reactors at a U.S. seaport—a different application, but part of the same broader trend.

Maritime nuclear interest now spans at least three converging areas: civilian shipping propulsion, floating power plants, and port-based nuclear infrastructure. Each carries its own technical and regulatory challenges, but they share a common thread—the need for frameworks that don’t yet fully exist. Competition with China keeps surfacing as a driver, with both Bøe and the broader framing of ATLAS suggesting that international pressure is accelerating decisions that might otherwise crawl through government and industry channels.

A first-of-its-kind federal-private cooperation agreement

The ATLAS launch marks the first coordinated multilateral effort specifically targeting nuclear technology in the maritime sector, with 25 countries already signed on and six expert groups set to begin framework development. Core Power and MARAD signed a first-of-its-kind federal-private cooperation agreement targeting U.S.-flagged nuclear merchant ships, with a 2028 construction goal contingent on regulatory and commercial readiness. Newcleo’s n-Floating consortium is pursuing a floating barge concept powered by multiple lead-cooled fast reactors, with roughly 18 months of conceptual design work ahead. Taken together, these announcements reflect a sector moving from long-range planning into active coordination—across governments, regulators, and private developers at once.

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.