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Comment by thelastgallon | Hacker News Reader

I wonder why we don’t have nuclear cargo/container ships.

There were four:

  NS savannah (US): 1962 to 1971, too expensive to operate
  NS Mutsu (Japan): 1972 to 1992, neutron leak
  Otto Hahn (Germany): 1970 to 1982, converted to diesel power
  Sevmorput (Russian): 1988 to 2007, converted to world's first nuclear powered drilling ship

There is at least one

This article gives a decent overview though: https://thebulletin.org/2024/09/why-nuclear-powered-commerci...

It's coming : https://interestingengineering.com/transportation/thorium-po...

Probably the same reason for why there is not more nuklear power on land as well. Cost.

And crew training, certifcation, etc.

Not to diminish the skills required to run a conventional ship powerplant but running a nuclear reactor would take years more training and education and also command higher pay.

The ship would also be a prime target for pirates/terrorists.

There have been four nuclear powered cargo ships built and operated, but none of the former are currently in active service.

Or a tug to pull N cargo ships during calm seas

It would make for interesting special effects playing Fallout

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