Request for Information: Development of a Commercially Viable System-Centric Small Modular Reactor Concept for Deployment in the Marine Transportation System

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. supports MARAD's system-first approach to maritime nuclear propulsion and proposes a seven-year "Maritime Nuclear Pathfinder" program. They recommend evaluating a maritime derivative of their KRONOS MMR Energy System for a new-build, U.S.-flagged logistics vessel to validate a repeatable operating system.

The authors, representing NuCon Company and Texas A&M University, provide a technical analysis and a structured Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework specifically for maritime nuclear applications. They argue that land-based reactor maturity is insufficient for maritime use and advocate for a rigorous, engineering-driven methodology to assess the feasibility of small modular reactors in marine environments.