Marine industry, like other fuel dependent enterprises, faces a
danger of fuel shortage. At present fossil fuels feature at top on list
of fuels used in this industry. Of these, diesel is the one used most
frequently under various names such as gas oil, marine gas oil (DMX,
DMB), intermediate fuel oil (IFO), residual fuel oil (RMA, RML) etc.
But they are under immediate danger of exhaustion. In this scenario,
marine nuclear propulsion steps in as the savior. However, how much can
the shipping industry rely on this new technology?
What is nuclear marine propulsion?
For
those who don’t know much about it, nuclear marine propulsion refers
to use of nuclear energy for purpose of propulsion of ships. It makes
use of a nuclear reactor where a nuclear reaction can be carried out
under controlled conditions. Such reaction produces immense energy
which can be tapped and used to power anything from small vessels to a
cruise ship.
The nuclear reaction carried out is a fission reaction wherein a
heavier molecule splits into smaller ones producing energy along with
the products. This energy produced is mainly used to heat water that can
be further used to produce steam for the purpose of nuclear ship
propulsion.
Status of nuclear marine propulsion
Use
of nuclear ships is increasing gradually though this idea has been
present for long. Nuclear reactions have been used to produce energy
for other commercial purposes mainly electricity production for some
time now. But idea of marine propulsion using this energy was proposed
somewhere in 1940s when the first design for a nuclear marine
propulsion engine was made. Since then, nuclear ships have become
designed and used. Right now, the marine propulsion dependent on nuclear
energy is found mainly in armed forces and navy but soon commercial
and domestic nuclear ships will also become just as common.
Mostly merchant cargo ships like American NS Savannah (1962-1972) and
German NA Otto Hahn (1968- 1972) or nuclear powered ice breakers have
been in use for brief periods. At present, only few ships based on nuclear marine propulsion are in use on experimental basis.
Why is nuclear marine propulsion a good idea?
Amongst
all the speculations and standing doubts about use of marine
propulsion system based on nuclear energy, there are some key factors
that make this a good idea, whatever way you look at it.
- In
the current scenario of extreme fuel shortage, nuclear ships are the
answer that everyone has been looking for. Energy produced from nuclear
reactions is immense which can be used easily.
- Since
amount of energy produced in every reaction is quite large, a single
time energy production can be used for a propulsion ship for a long
time. Nuclear ships offer a refilling solution of as less as once a
month. This could make shipping a speedy and hassle free process.
- A
nuclear reactor is designed to produce energy under controlled
conditions. It is compact and can be moved around easily. So
apprehensions about practicality of a nuclear reactor on ships, boats
and vessels can be put to a rest.
- Nuclear military
ships like submarines can survive for months underwater without feeling
the need to resurface for refueling. This can make combative forces
much more efficient.
- Fuel efficiency of nuclear
propulsion engines is more than most of the fuels currently in use.
This means that amount of energy derived from nuclear reactions per
unit weight is more than any other fuel.
- The better
power to weight ratio means that nuclear ships can have better weight
carrying capacity than other ships, offering quicker traveling over
longer distances with greater load.
- Nuclear ships
tackle problem of air pollution too as there is no production of
undesirable smoke or particular pollutants that have become a menace
all over the world.
Why can’t we trust this technology much right now?
The
picture of a nuclear energy powered propulsion ship seems very rosy.
However, there is a downside with this whole scenario. Some of the
points not so good with this technology are:
- Nuclear
reactions produce immense energy, which if not controlled can lead to
disastrous results. As such, even a minor fault can lead to accidents
with massive implications all over the world.
- Most
apprehensions lie with use of something as dynamic as nuclear energy on
ships which can be occupied by thousands of people at sometimes.
- In
case of accidents of nuclear ships, there is a huge chance of
contamination of water bodies with nuclear fuels that can damage marine
life and human population both. During the brief usage of such ships,
the number of accidents due to minor technical faults has been
proportionately large.
- Due to the need for ships to
travel across the world, there is a need for nuclear reactors to be
able to bear that sort of wear and tear. The nuclear reactor should be
secured to prevent its undesirable movement on the ship.
- The
major problem faced by every nuclear ship would be of disposal of
nuclear waste. With increasing use of nuclear fuel all over the world,
there is an increasing stack of nuclear waste that humans are still
struggling to dispose of. In absence of a practical solution to dispose
of excessive amount of nuclear wastes that will be produced due to
such ships, there could be more problems in long run.
- At
last, one major apprehension with this energy is its political and
moral implications. There will always be fear of this energy being
misused which remains one of the major political reasons to be cautious
about this energy.
There is a future in nuclear
energy for marine propulsion but still there is a long way to go before
we can see a fully fledged ship running on nuclear marine propulsion
system.
