One of the big stories this week at the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Annual Convention in New Orleans was the initiatives by two ports- Corpus Christi and Long Beach – developing partnerships to research new nuclear-powered vessels.
On August 19, 2026, CORE POWER and the Port of Corpus Christi Authority (PCCA) signed a Memorandum of Collaboration establishing a framework for a site-specific maritime nuclear readiness study at the Port of Corpus Christi. The study will examine how a major US energy and trade gateway could prepare for two additional distinct future roles: as a potential location for a floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) supplying firm power for port and regional demand, and as a gateway for future calls by nuclear-powered commercial ships, according to an announcement by the two parties.
The United States needs to embark on a national shipbuilding and commercial shipping mobilization prioritizing nuclear-powered ships, according to Stephen Carmel, Administrator of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD).
Carmel spoke to an audience of maritime executives, union leaders, port executives, maritime educators, maritime academy cadets, and U.S. Navy and Coast Guard officers at the San Francisco Bay Area Maritime Summit that took place at the Cal Poly Maritime Academy campus in Vallejo, California, on September 10th.
Pollack explained: “The Port of Corpus Christi, as the preeminent energy gateway in North America, is committed to remaining a leader in the global energy marketplace, even as that marketplace expands and evolves. This collaboration will help us understand what would be required technically, environmentally, operationally, and commercially for floating nuclear power plants and future calls by nuclear-powered commercial ships to be considered in the real-world context of the Port. It is about gathering evidence and keeping our region competitive for future investment, industry, and high-value jobs.”
In an interview with AJOT at the AAPA convention in New Orleans on September 29th, Pollack explained how he sees the collaboration working:
“Our commitment to the US Maritime Administration … is a broad statement of intent, memorandum of cooperation … saying ‘Hey, MARAD, federal administration, to the extent that you are interested in de-risking accelerating advanced nuclear maritime, we as a port are interested in helping.’ There's no immediate deployment component to that. Our second agreement is with CORE POWER and the memorandum of collaboration wherein CORE POWER is using the Port of Corpus Christi as a very granular case study for what their two business lines could look like on the ground in a US port. One of those is deploying a floating nuclear power plant. One of them is powering vessels’ propulsion.”
Mikal Bøe, CEO of CORE POWER, said: “Ports are where energy systems and global trade meet. For floating nuclear power plants, we need to understand sites, grids, customers, operating models and long-term service arrangements. For nuclear-powered commercial ships, we need safe and predictable pathways for transit, berthing and routine port operations. Port of Corpus Christi gives us a real operating environment in which to assess both pathways separately, but as parts of the complete industrial and regulatory system needed to make maritime nuclear commercially deployable. This is how we move from promising technology to products and infrastructure capable of supporting US energy and maritime competitiveness.”
The proposed study is a preliminary, fact-finding exercise. It does not select a site, reactor technology or vendor; initiate licensing or permitting; commit investment; approve construction; or authorize the deployment of an FNPP or calls by nuclear-powered commercial ships, according to the PCCA announcement.
Port of Long Beach and Nuclear Power
In its efforts to support next-generation energy options, the Port of Long Beach is looking at nuclear energy to power future commercial vessels and terminal operations as part of its “Port of the Future” plans, according to Noel Hacegaba, CEO of the Port of Long Beach.
At the Port’s August 19th media briefing, Hacegaba said, “Energy security is supply chain security, which makes fuel diversification so important and … that’s why here at the Port of Long Beach, we are setting our sights on expanding our options for energy. Yesterday’s energy system won’t power tomorrow’s port. We have to be willing to look around the corner, and nuclear belongs in that conversation.”
As a result, Hacegaba said, “I’m excited to announce that Long Beach became the first US seaport to form a partnership with the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration [MARAD] in commercial nuclear-powered … maritime vessels. I traveled to Washington, DC, on July 22 to strike up a partnership with MARAD to advance the development of Small Modular Reactors [SMRs] for powering commercial vessels, ports, and other maritime assets with the signing of our Memorandum of Cooperation with MARAD.…We’re teaming up with the US Maritime Administration and cutting-edge startup BLUECORE ENERGY to power the ‘Port of the Future.’ This work begins with safety. Together with MARAD and federal partners, we’ll help study what it would take for a US port to safely support advanced nuclear technology. In Long Beach, any commercial application is carefully considered.”
