More than 200 years ago, an American ship, the SS Savannah, departed the beautiful port city of Savannah, Georgia, for England as the first vessel under steam propulsion to cross the Atlantic. In recognition of the historic voyage and 114 years later, Congress proclaimed May 22 as Maritime Day.A lot has changed since the Savannah’s transoceanic voyage.Today, the vast majority of commercial ships are powered by diesel engines. Hybrid and new fuel sources such as liquefied natural gas and methanol are also being adopted by carriers. Most recently, forward-looking leaders such as Administrator Stephen Carmel at the U.S. Maritime Administration see small modular reactors as a technology that can once again transform the maritime industry.
QUALITY EDUCATION NEEDS AN ACT OF CONGRESS
This month, MARAD published a request for information to support the development and deployment of U.S.-built SMRs within the marine transportation system.
Even with all the technological innovations in maritime propulsion, there’s always a constant: evolving ships need next-generation ports to serve as a vital transition point between sea and land. Ports remain essential nodes in the supply chain, catalysts for dynamic economic growth, and key strategic resources in a strong national defense.
