The US Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) have launched an initiative to develop nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) for commercial shipping. As a first step, MARAD is calling on innovators and industry stakeholders to help develop an SMR model that revitalises US shipbuilding, cuts costs, and secures energy dominance.
MARAD has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from industry and innovators to advance:
- Efficiency: Deploying reliable, high-power energy to allow commercial ships to travel farther and faster;
- Affordability: Small modular reactors that will largely eliminate fuel costs and reduce maintenance requirements;
- National Security: Reinforcing American supply chains and securing energy independence to bolster our national defence;
- Scalability: Identifying streamlined deployment methods to integrate nuclear power across entire fleets and logistical networks;
- Shipbuilding & Workforce: Integrating nuclear SMR production into US shipyards to build strong robust workforce pipelines and new credentialing standards; and
- Regulatory Readiness: Establishing liability, insurance, and inspection frameworks to ensure seamless port access before construction begins.
“The US is reclaiming its rightful place as a global sea power,” said Duffy. “To secure this future for America’s shipbuilding industry, we need to innovate. By partnering with industry experts and outside-the-box thinkers to develop a strong SMR model, we will deliver a state-of-the-art energy source that cuts costs and bolsters national security—all at the Speed of Trump.”
MARAD Administrator Stephen M Carmel noted: “To successfully introduce SMRs, we must view this through a system-transition lens rather than just as a technology demonstration. We are seeking critical insights on how the government can help reduce systemic uncertainty, align regulatory structures, and enable the market conditions necessary for private capital and operators to scale these groundbreaking technologies.”
The SMR initiative is in line with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14269 signed in April 2025, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance. This serves as a blueprint for revitalising the US shipbuilding and maritime industries, which have declined significantly compared with global competitors. Key components include:
- Maritime Action Plan (MAP): A comprehensive strategy released in early 2026 to coordinate federal investments in shipyards, port infrastructure, and workforce development;
- Maritime Prosperity Zones: Investment areas modelled after “Opportunity Zones” designed to attract private capital to waterfront communities and shipyards;
- Funding & Tariffs: The order establishes a Maritime Security Trust Fund and directs the enforcement of the Harbour Maintenance Fee on foreign cargo entering via Canada or Mexico to prevent tax circumvention;
- Workforce Development: The order directs the modernisation of the Merchant Marine Academy and expands training for mariners; and
- Strategic Initiatives: The order launches a push for nuclear-powered commercial shipping to reduce emissions while maintaining long-range operational capability.
To support the development of SMRs, MARAD is collaborating with the US Coast Guard, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Department of Energy. MARAD will collect additional input through other forums, including public workshops, listening sessions, and technical exchanges.
MARAD said it views the potential introduction of SMR propulsion through a system-transition lens. “MARAD’s role, in coordination with interagency partners, is intended to support alignment, transparency, and integration across existing authorities rather than to direct technology selection or development activities.”
It added: “Federal participation typically supports risk stabilization, standards coordination, infrastructure integration, diplomatic engagement, and strategic signalling to reduce uncertainty and enable commercially led deployment.” The purpose of the RFI is to investigate if recent advancements in SMR technology and novel concept development are usable, scalable, and can be made commercially viable.
Implementation will occur in coordination with the Department of Energy; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; the Department of Homeland Security, including the US Coast Guard; the Department of War; and other relevant agencies, “as appropriate, consistent with applicable financial and budgetary frameworks and statutory authorities”.
MARAD added that, consistent with longstanding US maritime practice, any future actions informed through the RFI “would be pursued in alignment with applicable international standards, protocols, and development processes, including engagement through the International Maritime Organisation and relevant International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea SOLAS) frameworks.”
While the RFI focuses on SMR concepts as the current reference architecture for maritime nuclear propulsion, “responses may address alternative configurations that meet comparable safety, scalability, and commercial integration objectives consistent with the system-first principles outlined”.
MARAD noted: “Global competitors are advancing the integration of nuclear propulsion into the broader maritime industry, including shipyards, ports, insurance regimes, and logistics networks, which places the US at a strategic disadvantage in the absence of domestic SMR development.”
