The UK is about to pass legislation on nuclear propulsion for merchant ships, closing a loophole in its maritime legislative system on a propulsion technology. Namely, the UK Parliament is set to adopt the proposed Merchant Shipping (Nuclear Ships) Regulations 2022, which have been laid before the House of Commons and the House of Lords earlier this month. The ‘statutory instrument’ is set to enter into force on December 8, 2022. The regulations will enable the “Nuclear Code” for merchant ships, which is found in Chapter VIII of the Annex to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS), to become law. CorePower is a scalable atomic energy technology company focused on ocean transportation and heavy industry. In September, the UK company showcased for the first time a nuclear electric propulsion system (NEPS) targeting the container ship segment. The demonstration showed how a 14k TEU vessel fitted with a single molten salt reactor could enjoy total lifecycle costs of about half that of a conventionally propelled sister ship, once current bunker fuel prices and conservative carbon taxes are taken into consideration. The key obstacle to the wider implementation of nuclear technology in commercial shipping has been public acceptance due to safety concerns as well as the traditional business mindset of the shipping sector.  

atomic adj.原子的,核能的

英/əˈtɒmɪk/ 美/əˈtɑːmɪk/

atom是从希腊语ἄτομος“不可切分的”转化而来。atomic由名词atom“原子”加形容词后缀-ic（-ical）而成，意为“原子的、原子能的”，其近义词为nuclear。

atomic energy n. 原子能、核能

Tips：核能即原子能，指通过核反应从原子核中释放的能量，其由原子结构发生变化而释放的能量比普通化学反应大几百万倍。核能是一种低排放、高效率的清洁能源，曾经被视为化石能源最有希望的替代者。在作为船舶动力源方面,核动力装置首先是被应用于潜艇、航母等军用舰艇,而后一些国家也将其用于推动民用水面船舶,如核动力客船、散货船和破冰船等。