Written by

Nick Blenkey

L to R: U.S. Maritime Administrator Capt. Stephen M. Carmel with Bluecore Energy founder and CEO Kofi Asante. [Photo: Bluecore Energy]

L to R: U.S. Maritime Administrator Capt. Stephen M. Carmel with Bluecore Energy founder and CEO Kofi Asante. [Photo: Bluecore Energy]

Bluecore Energy, the nuclear startup developing water-cooled small modular reactors designed to operate aboard floating energy barges recently hosted U.S. Maritime Administrator Capt. Steve Carmel as he toured the Bluecore Energy facility on Pier D at the Port of Long Beach.

Capt. Carmel was welcomed to the Pier D facility by Bluecore Energy Founder and CEO Kofi Asante, along with the company’s team of engineers and nuclear maritime specialists.

Asante led Capt. Carmel and Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba on a tour of the facility, including a demonstration of the SMR test pressure vessel currently housed on-site. The demonstration offered a closer look at the engineering, testing and safety work Bluecore Energy is undertaking as it develops zero-emission nuclear technology designed for maritime environments.

The equipment at Bluecore Energy’s Port of Long Beach facility is a non-nuclear prototype and contains no nuclear fuel or radioactive material.

Bluecore Energy is developing compact, water-cooled nuclear energy systems designed to operate on floating maritime platforms. Future systems are being designed to provide scalable, zero-emission electricity for energy-intensive applications including ports, critical infrastructure, industrial facilities and other large energy users. Future deployment locations and operating configurations will be determined through the appropriate regulatory, maritime, environmental, security and safety processes.

“It was an honor to host Capt. Carmel at our Pier D facility today,” said Asante. “His operational expertise and leadership in the maritime sector make his perspective invaluable as we advance this work. Building maritime nuclear energy requires rigorous engineering, testing and safety work from the beginning. We’re excited about the progress we’re making and committed to moving with urgency while doing this safely and responsibly.”

“The maritime industry is facing an unprecedented mandate to create energy resilience, and innovative solutions like floating SMR platforms will be critical to meeting those demands,” said Capt Carmel. “Seeing the SMR Test Pressure Vessel firsthand and meeting with Kofi and his talented team reinforces the incredible potential of this technology. Rigorous engineering and safety studies are the right first steps to ensure this powerful technology can be deployed securely and effectively in our ports.”

Bluecore Energy says that its engineering and safety work is being developed in parallel with engagement with maritime classification societies, regulatory bodies and industry experts as the company works to meet applicable maritime and nuclear safety standards.

Bluecore Energy this month announced an oversubscribed $50 million seed round — just months after raising a $10 million pre-seed and coming out of stealth.

First-of-its-kind port partnership

The Port of Long Beach was the first U.S. seaport to formalize a partnership with the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to explore advanced maritime energy systems, including potential applications of nuclear energy in the maritime environment.

“This partnership with MARAD and Bluecore allows us to leverage strong federal leadership and private sector innovation to catalyze SMR technology as we safely and securely support the next generation of shipping,” said Hacegaba. “We’re building the Port of the Future in Long Beach, where we’ve led in global trade by moving $300 billion in cargo annually to support 2.7 million American jobs, and we will continue our tradition of leadership as we partner to advance nuclear energy in maritime and beyond.”