Those interested in the promise of maritime nuclear power should think less about futuristic breakthroughs and spend more time studying the history and current developments within the world’s only civilian maritime industry. Through geographical and national necessity the Soviet Union and later Russia created a living, evolving reactor family that now spans icebreakers, barges, and land installations and is the key to opening up the 21st centuries most important emerging transporation corridor, the Northern Sea Route. The most recent in that series, the RITM, remains the only serially produced SMR in the world: a compact, integral light-water design building off of 400 reactor-years of accumulated experience in its predecessors. If the West truly wants a nuclear maritime shipping revolution, it might start by studying the one that has already happened and is gaining steam fast If you appreciate long-form, empirically grounded analysis that separates hardware from hype, support Decouple Media on Substack. Share this story with someone who still believes the first SMR hasn’t been built yet. https://t.co/tnNdxUuZFr