A design for a floating offshore nuclear power barge from South Korea has received approval in principle from US-based classification society the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

The floating small modular reactor barge, designed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and Kepco Engineering and Construction Company (Kepco E&C), is intended to serve as offshore power generation for remote communities and island electrification.

HD KSOE provided basic designs for the marine systems. ABS and the Liberian Registry, the world’s second largest registry, completed design reviews based on class and statutory requirements. Kepco E&C, a subsidiary of South Korea’s state-owned Korea Electric Power Corporation, will continue to work on risk assessments.