China proposes nuclear-powered floating island to reshape global shipping

Name: China’s first 076 ‘drone carrier’ amphibious assault ship begins sea trials
Uploaded: 2026-06-05T01:00:15.000Z
Duration: 1 min 29 s
Description: China’s first 076 ‘drone carrier’ amphibious assault ship begins sea trials

Powered by molten salt reactors, the complex will function as a container terminal and zero-carbon platform

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Jiangnan Shipyard has announced the blueprint of a nuclear-powered floating island designed to serve as a container transfer terminal and charging station for vessels. Photo: Handout

The proposed platform. Image: Jiangnan Shipyard

Holly Chik

Published: 9:00am, 5 Jun 2026Updated: 1:49pm, 5 Jun 2026

A Chinese shipbuilder has unveiled a blueprint for a massive, nuclear-powered floating island that will serve as a container transfer terminal and a charging station for vessels.

The floating terminal will be powered by advanced molten salt reactors that use liquefied salt as both a fuel and coolant. These reactors can store vast amounts of thermal energy and cool without the need for water.

Jiangnan Shipyard, a subsidiary of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, said the complex would “become a new ecosystem for zero-emission ocean container logistics” and provide a “groundbreaking solution for the global shipping industry’s carbon neutral transformation”.

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China’s first 076 ‘drone carrier’ amphibious assault ship begins sea trials

The company announced its green marine transport hub concept – integrating shipping, port, energy production and transshipment – at the influential Posidonia International Shipping Exhibition in Greece on Tuesday and shared details on social media.

Engineers at the shipbuilder have been developing nuclear-powered vessels. Last year, they announced details of a cargo ship under development that is designed to be powered by a thorium-based molten salt reactor, with capacity for 25,000 shipping containers.

According to a slide show uploaded by Jiangnan Shipyard, the floating island complex will feature a nuclear-power and green-fuel production platform, dubbed the “zero-carbon heart of the hub”.

It will house a molten salt reactor, solar panels, a wind turbine, a hydrogen production and green-fuel synthesis module and an electricity supply module.

China proposes nuclear-powered floating island to reshape global shipping

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Powered by molten salt reactors, the complex will function as a container terminal and zero-carbon platform

Powered by molten salt reactors, the complex will function as a container terminal and zero-carbon platform