International High-level Forum on the ATLAS Launch

Date & Time:

26th - 27th Aug, 2026

Location:

The IAEA ATLAS Initiative

ATLAS Website

The IAEA Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS) initiative will support the maritime industry’s exploration of small modular reactors (SMRs) to power civilian ships and to provide offshore energy, as operators consider alternative fuels and seek to strengthen long-term energy security.

The ATLAS initiative will be unveiled at an IAEA Ministerial level event hosted by the United States in Washington DC on August 26-27.

Nuclear energy is being explored as a safe, viable option for commercial shipping, offering the potential for higher-speed maritime transport without the need for frequent refuelling. At the same time, innovations such as floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) provide versatile energy sources through advanced SMRs and could deliver energy to coastal or remote communities and industry.

The ATLAS Launch Event

The ATLAS Launch Event will serve as the high-level official kick-off of the initiative, providing political visibility and endorsement while engaging technical stakeholders to shape its future direction. The event will formally introduce the ATLAS vision, structure and initial work plan, while fostering dialogue among Member States and key stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges associated with nuclear applications at sea.

WNTI has been invited to nominate representatives for participation in the specific Project Groups of interest to WNTI. We will communicate this more fully to the members of the New Applications Committee, and the Regulation, Safety and Security Committee.

Project Groups

Project Group 1 – International Safety Codes and Standards

This group aims to identify revisions needed to IAEA Safety Standards or to the IMO Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships (or other IMO instruments, if relevant) to foster harmonization and consider the need for additional IAEA guidance. This group will consequently provide recommendations on these topics to the IAEA and the IMO.

Project Group 2 – Legal and Regulatory Framework

This group aims to consider the scope and applicability of relevant international legal instruments, to identify potential gaps and issues, and to develop approaches to licensing, regulation, environmental protection, nuclear liability and other relevant aspects across the lifetime of FNPPs and civil nuclear-powered ships.

Project Group 3 – Maritime Classification

This group aims to facilitate activities for classification societies, Administrations, ship designers and reactor developers to determine how best to interface and exchange information, such as design assessments, applicable management systems, and industrial codes and standards to enable the most efficient route for deployment of FNPPs and nuclear-powered shipping.

Project Group 4 – Safeguards

This group aims to explore effective and efficient modalities for the applications of safeguards to FNPPs and civil nuclear-powered ships.

Project Group 5 – Nuclear Security

This group aims to address nuclear security considerations, liaise with the relevant stakeholders on maritime security instruments and codes pertaining to FNPPs and civil nuclear-powered ships, and revise existing, or develop new, IAEA nuclear security guidance.

Project Group 6 – Deployment Roadmap on Technology, Infrastructure and Fuel Cycle

This group aims to understand the different business models, end users requirements, and to facilitate the development and deployment of reactor technologies for FNPPs and nuclear-powered ships, as well as aspects related to infrastructure, supply chains, fuel cycle including management of radioactive waste and spent fuel and other services necessary for an effective maritime nuclear ecosystem at national and international levels.

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