South Korea’s leading shipbuilding giant “Samsung Heavy Industries” has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US-based nuclear engineering specialist “Sargent & Lundy” to accelerate the commercialization of floating small modular reactor (SMR) technologies.
Sea-news.az reports that this strategic cooperation aims to transition “Samsung Heavy’s” offshore energy platform project from the conceptual design stage completed in 2025 to the licensing, construction planning, and commercial application stages.
The parties will work on a technologically neutral floating platform concept that is independent of a specific reactor manufacturer and allows for the easy integration of various types of SMR designs. “Samsung Heavy” representatives stated that this universal approach will provide energy companies, government agencies, and offshore platform operators with maximum flexibility and a wide range of choices when selecting reactors for floating nuclear power plants.
Within the framework of the agreement, the companies will also closely cooperate on the standardization of floating plants, obtaining permits from international and US regulatory bodies, developing deployment strategies in marine waters, and entering the US market.
It should be noted that “Samsung Heavy Industries” plans to combine its shipbuilding and marine engineering (EPC) experience with “Sargent & Lundy’s” over 70 years of nuclear design experience to take the lead in the next-generation marine energy infrastructure market, particularly for AI data centers, islands, and remote industrial facilities.
