Floating and submerged nuclear power plants: towards the emergence of energy thalassocracies?
Abstract
Moving nuclear power generation out to sea is not as innocuous as one might think. At a time when Russia and China have embarked on the construction of vast fleets of offshore nuclear power plants destined to conquer new markets, the emergence of these small disruptive reactors raises the question of their
possible exploitation for geostrategic purposes. Whether it is a question of seizing control of strategic hinterlands or of modifying the logistics of energy flows to their advantage, the projection of these future floating reactors might reflect the thalassocratic ambitions of powers developing them.
About the Author
Hélène Lecomte holds a Bachelor of Political Science (ICES, La Roche sur Yon) as well as a Master II in International Security and Defense (Jean Moulin University - Lyon III). As part of her thesis, defended in 2019, Hélène Lecomte was interested in the strategic and security issues of floating and submerged nuclear power plants.
Technology-capability analysis
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The silent masters of the oceans: the strategic and non-proliferation implications of nuclear-powered submarines in Australia and Brazil
At the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in 2022, Director General Rafael Grossi emphasizes that “the world of nuclear proliferation and safeguards is changing,” and that this change creates important technical and political challenges. The announcement of the AUKUS agreement and the progress of Brazil’s nuclear-powered submarine program reflect regional geopolitical realignments. Internationally, the IAEA safeguards system is challenged by these developments insofar as they entail risks of nuclear proliferation. How does the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines impact both the regional and international strategic balance and nuclear non-proliferation norms? The purpose of this research note is to analyze the geopolitical motivations of nuclear-powered submarine programs in Australia and Brazil and their implications for nonproliferation instruments.
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𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑
