Photo courtesy of POLB.
LONG BEACH —The Port of Long Beach became the first port in the nation to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration or MARAD July 22 to advance work on development of small modular reactor or SMR technology to power commercial vessels, ports and other maritime assets.
The agreement represents a milestone, making Long Beach the first U.S. seaport to formalize a partnership with MARAD to establish nuclear-powered vessels for commercial service.
The agreement builds on momentum from MARAD’s May 7, 2026 Request for Information, issued in the Federal Register, seeking industry input on the development of a U.S.-built, scalable and commercially viable SMR for the nation’s marine transportation system. It also complements the port’s new lease agreement with BlueCore Energy Inc., which allows the company to assemble, test and store maritime power modules, adding private-sector expertise to the partnership with an American energy and technology company on the forefront of SMR development.
The Port of Long Beach explained under the agreement, the port and MARAD will collaborate with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to help define the operational protocols, safety standards and inspection processes needed to support the safe arrival and servicing of SMR-powered vessels at U.S. ports, as well as to develop and share other best practices. The agreement is nonbinding and does not commit either party to funding, procurement decisions or the adoption of any specific technology.
The Port of Long Beach is home to two MARAD Ready Reserve vessels, the S.S. Cape Island and S.S. Curtiss, and is also designated as one of 18 designated Commercial Strategic Seaports in the U.S., supporting military readiness and supply chain continuity during national emergencies.
Watch a recording of the July 22 press conference at U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington D.C.
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