Deployable Energy and Hornbeck Offshore Partner to Advance Maritime Microreactor Applications

Deployable Energy recently announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hornbeck Offshore to advance the commercialization of the Unity nuclear battery for maritime and offshore applications. Hornbeck Offshore has also made a strategic investment in Deployable Energy.

Under the arrangement, the collaboration will combine Deployable Energy's transportable microreactor technology with Hornbeck Offshore's operational expertise in offshore service vessels, focusing on applications such as inland waterways, offshore vessels and platforms, national security logistics and autonomous vessels, power generation barges, and floating data centers.

The two companies will establish a joint working group to conduct research on vessel integration, project economics, licensing pathways, financing arrangements, and commercial structures, with priority given to near-term U.S. application scenarios. Deployable Energy stated that the project will also support its goal of achieving multi-gigawatt long-term deployments over the next decade, while aiming to reduce total cost of ownership by at least 20% compared to conventional marine diesel or grid-supplied power solutions.

According to available information, the Unity nuclear battery is a 1-megawatt microreactor designed for scalable manufacturing and transportable deployment, featuring an engineered vessel-integration approach rather than building a new vessel around the reactor. The system is designed to provide stable, reliable, zero-emission power with a refueling cycle exceeding five years, and can be expanded from a single module to multi-module deployments.

Bobby Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Deployable Energy, stated that partnering with Hornbeck Offshore will help advance commercial maritime nuclear applications from demonstration to actual deployment. Todd M. Hornbeck, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Hornbeck Offshore, stated that the two companies chose to collaborate because Deployable Energy has a deep understanding of maritime industry needs, and the relevant market can leverage small-scale nuclear power to enhance economics, endurance, and energy resilience.

Under the roadmap, the collaboration will proceed in phases, including feasibility studies and front-end engineering, detailed design, regulatory approvals, initial deployment, fleet-scale rollout, and long-term operations. The deployments remain subject to the progress of technical, commercial, and regulatory efforts, as well as the execution of definitive agreements.