Prodigy Clean Energy Collaborates with Lloyd’s Register to Develop Transportable Nuclear Power Plants

Prodigy Clean Energy, a North American developer of marine- and land-based transportable nuclear power plants (TNPPs), has partnered with classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) to advance the development of lifecycle requirements for its TNPPs and commence their fabrication by the late 2020s.

With support from the Government of Canada amounting to C$2.75 million (US$1.9 million), Prodigy is focused on creating models for TNPP marine fabrication, marine transport, and centralized decommissioning.

The collaboration with LR aims to prepare TNPPs for commercial implementation by defining industrial practices and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements throughout crucial plant lifecycle phases. LR will draw on its expertise in maritime, nuclear, and offshore industries to establish a practical power plant lifecycle approach that meets Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards for nuclear safety, security, and safeguards.

The ultimate objective is to secure licensing and deployment for an energy project in Canada within the next five to seven years.

Mark Tipping, LR’s Global Offshore Power To X Director, highlighted the significance of the collaboration, stating: “This project with Prodigy is notable as it is one of the first to establish guidelines for transportable and floating nuclear power plants. We are developing models based on real-world use cases with specific inputs from end-users, setting a potential global standard. These models will be valuable for sovereign regulators and international marine fabricators as they work to position themselves in the emerging global maritime nuclear energy market.”

Prodigy emphasizes that TNPPs offer benefits such as enhanced power plant modularity and economics, accelerated project schedules, reduced environmental impact, and improved technical and financial feasibility for Small Modular Reactor (SMR) deployment in coastal and remote regions.

The company is working on two types of facilities: the Prodigy Microreactor Power Station TNPP and the SMR Marine Power Station TNPP, which can accommodate various sizes and types of nuclear reactors.

Prodigy’s TNPPs are tailored, marine fabricated structures designed to house operational nuclear reactors along with all necessary systems and components. These power plants, ranging from 1 MWe to 1,000 MWe gross output, can be customized for high-heat applications and cater to sectors like hard-to-abate industries, data centers, clean fuels and hydrogen generation, and grid decarbonization.

Furthermore, Prodigy revealed its collaboration with a multinational mining company for its initial TNPP project, aiming to provide power to a large remote critical minerals cluster in Canada.

Phase II feasibility studies are underway, involving site and environmental data collection, a prototypical test program, and engagement with local Indigenous communities. The TNPP deployment is intended to replace diesel generation, supplying cost-effective, reliable, and carbon-free electricity and heat for up to six decades.

This initiative is projected to enhance upstream and midstream critical minerals value chain activities and stimulate economic and infrastructure growth in isolated Indigenous communities.

“In a world where the demand for nuclear generation is rising, Prodigy’s transportable nuclear facilities are emerging as crucial components for customizing SMR new builds. The progress made in developing our lifecycle requirements over the past few years will greatly benefit from LR’s expertise and recommendations,” stated Mathias Trojer, President and CEO of Prodigy Clean Energy.