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Originally Posted by Chadillaccc
Unless we develop viable fusion reaction technology that can power said ships. Or unless companies want to risk putting nuclear fission reactors on board commercial ships.
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The United States, Russia, Japan, and Germany have all experimented with nuclear powered civilian vessels. What we've determined in that time is that the 'risk' of nuclear powered civilian ships is not engineering risk - failure, safety, or the environment. Its financial risk. The simple fact is that a nuclear powered ship is a lot more expensive to operate and insure. Even in military contexts, the UK revised the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers to run on conventional fuel for cost reasons.
Most nuclear powered civilian ships have either been scrapped, or converted to conventional power. The major exception is Russia's nuclear icebreaking fleet, which seems to be an effective use of the technology. Icebreakers need a tremendous amount of power, making the scale of nuclear reactors more reasonable, and arctic seawater is a much more effective coolant, reducing operating costs.