Recently, there was an article in the Baltimore Sun discussing the fate of the nuclear ship N.S. Savannah, which was commissioned as part of the Atoms for Peace program to demonstrate the peaceful use of the atom. The ship, moored in the Baltimore harbor since 2008, is undergoing a nuclear decommissioning process which, when complete, will enable its transfer to interested parties. This process is expected to be completed by early 2026.
The N.S. (Nuclear Ship) Savannah was the first nuclear-powered merchant ship, created as a showpiece of Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace initiative. It was launched in 1959 and served as an atomic goodwill ambassador as it sailed into various ports during the 1962-1972 period when it was in service. Once deactivated, it was moved to several ports in the U.S. before landing in Baltimore.
The ship is currently operated under the auspices of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Once the nuclear decommissioning is complete, the article notes that MARAD could donate the ship to a museum for educational purposes, a state for use as an historical attraction, or even a commercial entity.
We think that an appropriate home for the N.S. Savannah, not surprisingly, would be Savannah, Georgia. Besides being its namesake, the ship has been moored there before in making its rounds to coastal cities in the United States. In addition, Georgia gets a considerable amount of electricity from nuclear energy and houses the largest nuclear power plant in the United States, Plant Vogtle, right up the river (the Savannah River) from Savannah.
We also have a suggestion about a potential corporate sponsor: Hyundai. Hyundai is building a large EV plant outside Savannah and has other green investments in Georgia. Hyundai Engineering is also involved in ventures relating to the construction of both small and large nuclear reactors. Even more relevant to any sponsorship of the N.S. Savannah is the fact that HD Hyundai subsidiary HD KoreaShipbuildingand Offshore Engineering is involved in a development project with TerraPower and others to build small nuclear reactors to power cargo ships.
Fittingly, the N.S. Savannah’s transfer comes at a time when the prospect for nuclear-powered shipping is receiving more attention than ever as the shipping industry looks to reduce its carbon footprint. A recent cover story in the Ux Weekly details the studies and agreements undertaken by the maritime industry as it looks to chart “a course to equip large cargo ships with SAMRs [Small and Advanced Modular Reactors], offering increased shipping capacity, faster speeds, and stable fuel and operating costs, all with zero emissions.”
Jeff Combs is founder, owner, and Chairman of UxC, LLC (UxC) and is a leading expert in the nuclear fuel market, with over 50 years of experience providing economic analysis and forecasting for the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. He has extensive and varied expertise, overseeing UxC market reports, providing strategic consulting to major commercial companies in the nuclear fuel industry, and advising governments and international organizations on market and policy issues. Under his management, UxC has grown to become the world’s pre-eminent nuclear fuel market information and analysis company, issuing reports and publishing prices for all front-end nuclear fuel markets. In 2007, UxC teamed with CME/NYMEX to introduce the world’s first uranium futures contract. That same year UxC began reporting on the backend of the fuel cycle. In 2018, Mr. Combs created the atompeace.org website to advance understanding of peaceful uses of the atom in today’s world. During his career, Mr. Combs has presented papers at a variety of nuclear industry and energy economics conferences throughout the world. In addition, he has had his work published in academic and public policy journals. Mr. Combs earned a bachelor's degree in Economics at the University of Virginia, where he also completed his doctoral course work in economics. He is a charter member of the International Association of Energy Economics and is a member of the American Nuclear Society.