Fincantieri, one of the biggest shipbuilding companies in the world, has signed a new deal with Newcleo and RINA to explore the future of nuclear power at sea – including looking at whether mini reactors could be used to power cruise ships in the future.
Newcleo is a nuclear tech company that has developed state-of-the-art small modular reactors which are lead-cooled. RINA is a multinational conglomerate that specializes in engineering and certification.
And Fincantieri is the shipbuilding company responsible for many of the biggest cruise ships sailing today, including Discovery Princess, Norwegian Prima and MSC Seascape in 2022 alone.
The partnership is based on Newcleo’s Lead-cooled Fast Reactor, which is similar to a nuclear-powered battery capable of outputting 30 MegaWatts of energy. As a guide, a cruise ship’s diesel generator can output 8-10 MW of energy, and ships usually have four, though they don’t use them all at once.
This means that, in theory, the LFRs could power a medium or large cruise ship already.
The potential of nuclear power for cruise ships is interesting – it could mean that ships only need to be refueled once every ten years or so, and then it’s just a case of ‘swapping the batteries’. It will also be much more eco-friendly than using diesel fuel.
Suggested read: How Much Fuel Does A Cruise Ship Hold?
But of course, safety concerns will be raised, and it’s unlikely we’ll see any cruise ship using the technology in the very imminent future while these concerns are explored and addressed.
Related Posts:
- Full List Of All 21 LNG-Powered Cruise Ships
- How Big is a Cruise Ship?
- 32 Cruise Industry Statistics and Facts For 2023
- Are Cruises Safe? 8 Threats To Consider
Perfect Day Mexico May Go Ahead After All With Potential Relocation
Royal Caribbean’s ambitious plans for a new Perfect Day destination in Mexico are far from dead, with the Mexican government now in active discussions about relocating the project after environmental…
Protesters Gather At Greece’s Busiest Cruise Port Over Arrival Of Israeli Cruise Ship
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the Port of Piraeus near Athens on 3rd June 2026 to protest the arrival of the Israeli-operated cruise ship Crown Iris, highlighting continuing tensions linked…
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald To Step Back From Full-Time Social Media Role
After nearly four decades with Carnival Cruise Line, brand ambassador John Heald is preparing for a significant change in his day-to-day responsibilities, stepping back from the intensive social media engagement…
Santorini Limits Cruise Passenger Access Through Athinios Port Under New Arrival Rules
Cruise passengers visiting Santorini may face a different arrival experience this summer after local authorities approved new rules governing how visitors are brought ashore from cruise ships. Under a policy…
