In the
1950s and 1960s were Dutch shipyards, merchant shipping companies, navy and
government interested in nuclear propelled vessels. The Royal Netherlands Navy
wanted for instance to have nuclear
propelled submarines, the project was however never realized. In the meeting of
Stichting Kernvoortstuwing Koopvaardijschepen (S.K.K.) of 30 October 1963 was
another project discussed. The idea was to built a nuclear propelled tug using
the reactor of the Reactor Centrum Nederland (R.C.N.).(1) A student of the
Technische Hoogeschool at Delft even made a design of a vessel which despite
earlier expectations resembled a real tug with an estimated horsepower of
20.000hp. The famous Dutch towing and salvage and towing company L.
Smit&Co. at Maassluis, Netherlands was interested. The project was to be
discussed in the December meeting. The chairman thought that the this project
was developed while such a vessel needed to tank fuel when it was active in
depressions. One board member stated that tugs needed to become larger to be
able to handle the large tankers. Professor Jaeger said that a length of 70 metres
for a tug was not unusual. The projected nuclear tug would have a length of 84
metres and within a few years would such a length be acceptable. He hoped that
the S.K.K. would financial support the project.(2)
Notes
1. The foundation Reactor Centrum Nederland wanted to
collect and provide knowledge for using nuclear energy for civilian purposes.
2. The project is never realized.
Source
Archive
Kon. Mij. De Schelde 1875-1970 214.365 (Towns archive Vlissingen).
