The Port of Charleston is a key component of the new ‘Pink Corridor’ project, a bilateral initiative between the United States and the United Kingdom exploring the feasibility of nuclear-powered container shipping across the Atlantic Ocean. This development comes just one week after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched its ATLAS initiative on August 26, which also seeks to integrate small modular reactors into commercial shipping.
The ‘Pink Corridor’ project, named for its focus on nuclear energy, specifically evaluates a shipping route between the Port of Charleston and the UK port of Felixstowe. Led by maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register and AP Moller-Maersk, the project will delve into critical aspects such as ship security, safeguards, cyber resilience, emergency protocols, and insurance frameworks. It also aims to ensure alignment with existing global maritime and nuclear policies.
This initiative is part of a broader US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal, which explicitly includes exploring civil maritime nuclear applications and the potential for such a shipping corridor. The initial phase’s findings will determine the direction of any subsequent project phases.
The ‘Pink Corridor’ builds upon a 2024 regulatory assessment study conducted by Lloyd’s Register and UK-based CORE POWER. Maersk formalized this earlier work into a joint development project focused on decarbonizing commercial shipping through nuclear power. CORE POWER has since signed an agreement with the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) to collaborate on a potential fleet of 50 nuclear-powered merchant vessels, with construction anticipated to begin in 2028.
Globally, other nations are also advancing in this field. China’s state-owned Jiangnan Shipyard announced in 2025 its design for the world’s first nuclear-powered container ship, a 25,000-TEU vessel, with construction expected to start within a decade. India has also joined the nuclear commercial shipping push, with the Indian Atomic Energy Commission Chairman attending the Washington event for the ATLAS initiative. The ATLAS initiative, launched by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, aims to explore the use of small modular reactors for commercial shipping and also considers floating nuclear power plants to provide electricity to coastal or remote communities and industries.
