美国政府正推动与 Core Power 合作于 2028 年推出核动力货轮，并与 25 国在国际原子能机构探讨相关规范，旨在重振造船业、降低航运成本并大幅减少全球碳排放。然而，世界最大造船与出口国中国并未参与该协议，这成为推动商船核能化的一大隐忧。

从技术与经济层面来看，核动力船舶早已有军用先例，且航速提升能让船队以更少船只运载更多货物，配合电池动力接驳船甚至可削减航运业逾三分之二的碳排。此外，全球主要航运集中于少数核心航线与主要港口，理论上只需不到 500 艘核动力货轮即可替代现有超大型集装箱船队。

核动力商船面临的最大挑战在于法规、安全与地缘政治信任。核动力民用船舶航行于公海，将涉及高薪核能工程师、防海盗武装保安、港口准入与保险等复杂问题。若美中陷入贸易对抗而无法如同冷战时期建立多边信任与监管框架，排除中国的核动力商船愿景将难以真正落实。

The US government is collaborating with Core Power to launch a nuclear-powered cargo ship by 2028, leading discussions with 25 nations at the IAEA to revitalize shipbuilding, lower freight costs, and reduce global carbon emissions. However, the exclusion of China—the world's largest shipbuilder and exporter—poses a critical vulnerability to this initiative.

Technologically and economically, nuclear propulsion is well-established through naval history, offering higher sailing speeds that allow smaller fleets to move more cargo and, when combined with battery-powered feeders, potentially slashing shipping emissions by over two-thirds. Moreover, global container traffic is highly concentrated, meaning fewer than 500 nuclear vessels could effectively replace current mega-containership fleets.

The primary obstacles remain regulatory, security, and geopolitical hurdles rather than technology or economics. Deploying nuclear reactors on commercial vessels across international waters demands stringent oversight, armed security, and complex port agreements; without multilateral trust and China's essential participation, a successful renaissance of nuclear merchant shipping will be impossible.