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600 MW floating nuclear power barge targets US in world-first offshore advanced SMR bid

Rather than building a conventional inland plant from scratch, Saltfoss will divide production between two allied industrial hubs.

ByAman Tripathi, Interesting EngineeringNov 04, 2026

A Danish nuclear developer wants to bring floating atomic power to American shores. Saltfoss has sent a letter of intent to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The firm wants to start early regulatory talks for its offshore power barge and seaMSR-100 reactor.

If approved, the project will mark the world’s first licensed maritime advanced small modular reactor (SMR). The timing is interesting. In March 2026, the NRC introduced 10 CFR Part 53. This modern regulatory rulebook has been designed specifically for advanced reactors. Saltfoss aims to become the first developer to secure a license under this new framework.

Instead of building a conventional plant inland from the ground up, Saltfoss plans to split production between two allied industrial hubs.

Samsung Heavy Industries will build the standardized steel barges in South Korea, using the country’s high-volume shipbuilding yards. Once the hulls are complete, teams in the United States will handle reactor assembly, fuel loading, and final integration.

“As part of its US expansion, Saltfoss will significantly increase its activities in the United States, including reactor assembly, fuel loading and final power plant integration at US facilities,” said the company in a press release.

International regulatory alignment

The company is also coordinating reviews across the Pacific. Saltfoss is working with South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission under the nation’s SMR Special Act. South Korea is expected to host some of the earliest commercial deployments.

Meanwhile, maritime safety evaluations are already under way. The American Bureau of Shipping is qualifying the barge design through its formal new technology review………………………..

Each standardized seaMSR-100 unit yields 100 megawatts of electricity (MWe). Multiple modules can sit aboard a single barge to deliver up to 600 MWe of constant electricity and high-temperature industrial heat. This capacity can power remote coastal industries, municipal grids, or power-hungry hyperscale data centers………………………………………

Saltfoss finalized its conceptual design in 2025 alongside the Idaho National Laboratory and Danish researchers. The company plans to submit its formal Regulatory Engagement Plan to Washington in early 2027. https://interestingengineering.com/energy/600-mw-floating-nuclear-power-barge

November 5, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Small Modular Nuclear Reactors