Japanese nuclear powered emigrant ship project anno 1958

An item reported that Japan presented a project for a 20,000 tons nuclear powered emigrant ship to serve on the shipping route to Latin America. The 180 thermal MW pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuelled with UO2-zircalloy  and 1.7% of enrichment and to supply steam through exchangers with 2 boilers each 120 ton/hour resulting in a horsepower of 40,000 hp allowing a speed of 23.5 (cruising)-25 (maximum) knots. If the reactor was out of service was she powered by 1-2,000 hp auxiliary diesel motor allowing an emergency navigation speed of 7 knots. Transport capacity  2,000 emigrants, 200 passengers and 8,000 tons of goods to Latin America and on her return voyage 400 passengers with cargo. The results were better as first assumed but less profitable as the latest conventional steamship Argentino Maru. More study was needed to improve the design a nuclear powered ship superior to the traditional designs. (1)

Note

1. This project resulted not in realizing a ship. On 17 November 1967was the building of the general cargo ship Mutsu ordered, laid down by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Tokyo, Japan with yard number 2107 on 27 November 1968, launched on 12 June 1969, completed on 4 September 1972, decommissioned in 1992 and rebuilt as the ocean observation vessel Mirai.

Source

R. Gibrat. Nuclear naval propulsion: tankers, liners (Conditions of profitability). Translation of a paper presented at the Nuclear Energy Days Conference held at Milan, December 12-14, 1958. Original title Propulsion Naval Nucléaire: Petroliers, Paquebots (Conditions de rentabilité