Lloyd’s Register (LR), a UK-based classification society, has collaborated with Microsoft to use generative AI to enhance the application of nuclear technology within the maritime sector.
The partnership will utilise Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to streamline the regulatory process for nuclear technology, marking a step towards integrating terrestrial and maritime nuclear applications.
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The generative AI capabilities provided by Azure are designed to expedite the creation of new permitting documents by analysing historical nuclear licencing data.
It allows licencing engineers to draft documents more efficiently, accelerating the review and refinement stages.
Additionally, the AI can rapidly navigate through extensive regulatory data to locate relevant regulations, precedents, and other critical information.
LR Global Offshore Power To X director Mark Tipping said: “We have a large data source from decades of regulatory applications which these AI capabilities can interrogate swiftly to identify good practice and lessons learned.
“Together, we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges in deploying nuclear technology, which is navigating complex, slow, and costly licensing processes.”
The deployment of nuclear technology in maritime applications is crucial for establishing nuclear power as a feasible and clean energy solution, according to LR.
The integration of AI is expected to break down existing barriers and unlock the potential of nuclear energy for various maritime uses, including floating nuclear power plants, offshore energy, and ship power systems.
Microsoft energy and resources industry CVP Darryl Willis said: “This collaboration underscores our commitment to harnessing the power of AI to drive innovation and advance sustainability across sectors.
“By combining our AI expertise with Lloyd’s Register’s expertise in maritime and nuclear safety, we are paving the way to ease regulatory barriers and make sustainability more attainable for all industries.”
Earlier this week, Corvus Energy’s Dolphin NxtGen marine battery system received Type Approval from Lloyd’s Register, confirming compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
