Summary of Working Paper No. 73-1996
III.07.6: The Potential of the NSR with a Nuclear Icebreaking Container Ship
By Tomoji Takamasa, Koichi Kondo and Shogo Hayashi, Tokyo University of
Mercantile Marine, Japan; Kunio Miyashita, Kobe University, Japan; and Izuo Aya, Ship
Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
Trade between Europe and the Far East using nuclear container ships is
feasible in the near future. In terms of existing Russian nuclear icebreakers and
cargo ships, the nuclear vessels have an advantage over conventional NSR ships with
respect to the energy supply problem, i.e., the balance of loading fuel and
its power output, -- or in other words, the energy intensity. This advantage may
broaden the NSR utility period on the basis of its economic potential. Shipping
expenses and the requirements of shippers will also justify the extension of
the NSR season. Our study is a comparison of the operating and voyage expenses
of a model nuclear container ship and conventional diesel ships. A nuclear
icebreaking container ship is now being designed by the Shipbuilding Research
Association of Japan. Research and development of an advanced marine reactor (Marine
Reactor X: MRX) for an icebreaker, which may possibly be installed in the near
future, has been done by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI).
The MRX employs an integral pressurized water reactor (PWR), an in-vessel type
control rod driving mechanism, a water-filled containment vessel, and a passive
decay heat removal system that uses natural circulation. As a result, drastic
improvements in safety and dramatic reductions in size and weight have been
achieved. A cost comparison between the model nuclear icebreaking container ship and
conventional diesel ships has been made that focuses on the advantages and
disadvantages of the different transportation systems and the benefits and
demerits for operators and shippers. Factors considered were the operating expenses
and voyage expenses borne by operators, and the freight, premium, interest,
storage expenses, and sales opportunity costs paid by shippers. Using the above
factors, the economic potential of a nuclear ship as an NSR merchant ship was
examined as follows :
I. comparison was made of the ship-operating and container shipping expenses of
the model nuclear icebreaking container ship sailing through the NSR and similar
expenses of the high-speed diesel container ships passing through the Suez
Canal.
II. comparison was made of the ship-operating and container shipping expenses of
the model nuclear icebreaking container ship and similar expenses of a
conventional diesel ship, both sailing through the NSR.
III. study was conducted to determine the kinds of cargo that could be carried
economically by using a nuclear icebreaking container ship sailing through the NSR.
Our study shows that transporting cargo with a nuclear icebreaking container
ship sailing through the NSR is economically feasible in comparison to existing
container shipping and air transport.