The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) will sign its first-ever agreement with the Port of Long Beach.
The deal will see the two parties explore the use of small modular reactors (SMRs) for commercial vessels, alongside other potential applications at the port.
The agreement will be signed on 22 July 2026, at USDOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C., with remarks beginning at 10:05 a.m. EDT.
A signing ceremony and photo opportunity will follow at 10:20 a.m., before media are given the opportunity to put questions to the signatories at 10:35 a.m.
The deal marks a notable step for the Port of Long Beach, one of the busiest container gateways in North America, as it looks to diversify the technologies underpinning both vessel propulsion and shoreside operations.
SMRs, which are smaller and modular in design compared with conventional nuclear plants, have been gaining traction across several transport sectors as a potential low-carbon power source, though their use in commercial shipping remains largely untested.
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Signing the agreement will be Capt. Stephen M. Carmel, Maritime Administrator at MARAD, and Dr Noel Hacegaba, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Port of Long Beach and President of the California Association of Port Authorities. Frank Colonna, President of the Long Beach Harbor Commission, will also take part.
For terminal operators and equipment suppliers watching the decarbonisation debate, the agreement signals that federal and port-level authorities are willing to test technologies once considered too politically or logistically fraught for maritime use.
Should the trial move forward, it could open a pathway for SMRs to be assessed not only as a propulsion option for commercial vessels but also as a power source for terminal operations, an area port authorities have increasingly targeted as they pursue emissions reduction targets.
The signing follows growing interest from ports globally in nuclear-powered options as an alternative to LNG, methanol and battery-electric systems, none of which have yet emerged as a clear frontrunner for decarbonising deep-sea shipping.
Ports have generally approached nuclear power with caution given regulatory, safety and public perception hurdles, making the MARAD-Long Beach agreement one of the more prominent moves by a major U.S. gateway into this space.
For more information:
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration – https://www.transportation.gov/