# Source note — Port of Long Beach / MARAD maritime SMR source card

Date checked: 2026-07-27 (PDT)  
Slug: `port-long-beach-marad-maritime-smr-source-card`  
Article: `blog/articles/port-long-beach-marad-maritime-smr-source-card.html`

## Bottom line

A publishable Energy source-card item was found: multiple reputable maritime/nuclear outlets report that the Port of Long Beach signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to advance small modular reactor (SMR) work for commercial vessels, ports and other maritime assets. The strongest official anchor retrieved directly was the May 7, 2026 Federal Register RFI for a commercially viable SMR concept for the marine transportation system.

Evidence label: **reported port/federal cooperation agreement attached to an official MARAD RFI; not a reactor licence or commercial deployment.**

## Official / primary sources checked

1. Federal Register — MARAD RFI: *Request for Information: Development of a Commercially Viable System-Centric Small Modular Reactor Concept for Deployment in the Marine Transportation System*  
   URL: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/07/2026-09070/request-for-information-development-of-a-commercially-viable-system-centric-small-modular-reactor  
   Publication date: 2026-05-07  
   Use: official federal anchor showing MARAD was soliciting input on a U.S.-built/scalable/commercially viable SMR concept for marine transportation.

2. MARAD newsroom / maritime.dot.gov  
   Access note: terminal fetch returned HTTP 403 during this run. Not used as a direct factual anchor beyond the Federal Register notice.

3. Port of Long Beach official site  
   Access note: terminal fetches to `polb.com/news-releases/`, `polb.com/?s=nuclear`, `polb.com/?s=MARAD`, and WordPress REST endpoints timed out. Treated as inaccessible in this environment.

## Mainstream / trade reporting checked

1. World Nuclear News — *First port signs up to US initiative on maritime SMRs*  
   URL: https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/first-port-signs-up-to-us-initiative-on-maritime-smrs  
   Published: 2026-07-27  
   Extracted facts: Port of Long Beach became first U.S. port to sign a memorandum of cooperation with MARAD; scope is SMR technology for commercial vessels, ports and other maritime assets; WNN also describes MARAD’s May initiative/RFI and BlueCore Energy port lease context.

2. AJOT — *Port of Long Beach, MARAD sign first-of-its-kind partnership agreement on nuclear energy in maritime*  
   URL: https://www.ajot.com/news/port-of-long-beach-marad-sign-first-of-its-kind-partnership-agreement-on-nuclear-energy-in-maritime  
   Published: 2026-07-23  
   Extracted facts: first port in the nation to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with MARAD; quoted Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel, and Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners President Frank Colonna; cites May 7 RFI.

3. gCaptain — *Port of Long Beach, MARAD Launch First U.S. Partnership on Nuclear-Powered Shipping*  
   URL: https://gcaptain.com/port-of-long-beach-marad-launch-first-u-s-partnership-on-nuclear-powered-shipping/  
   Published: 2026-07-22  
   Extracted facts: nonbinding Memorandum of Cooperation; framework for nuclear technology for commercial vessels, port operations and other maritime assets; follows MARAD May request for industry input.

4. Maritime Executive — *Long Beach and MARAD to Study Small Nuclear Reactors for Ports and Ships*  
   URL: https://maritime-executive.com/article/long-beach-and-marad-to-study-small-nuclear-reactors-for-ports-and-ships  
   Published: 2026-07-23  
   Use: corroborating maritime trade framing; not separately cited in the final source list to keep it concise.

## Leads checked but skipped / not selected

- Lightbridge Corporation and Quadrant Nuclear Industries HALEU MoU, GlobeNewswire, 2026-07-27. Real company release and fuel-chain relevant, but mainly a company-to-company MoU with market-news amplification; kept as a future fuel-supply lead rather than today’s main article.
- Antares $470M Series C / military microreactors, 2026-07-27. Substantive financing lead, but source trail in this run was mostly Yahoo/Reuters-style market coverage and company framing; useful future follow-up if official defence/DOE milestone appears.
- BAE spin-out Nuclear Turbines £15M compact reactor raise, 2026-07-27. Interesting technology/startup lead, but sources were startup/trade coverage and one page returned 403; not selected over the port/MARAD item.
- Baltimore Sun / Maryland small reactors, 2026-07-27. Local policy angle but paywall/limited direct source access in this run.

## Claim discipline / cautions used

- Do **not** say Long Beach is building a nuclear port or that nuclear-powered container ships are imminent.
- Do **not** treat a Memorandum of Cooperation as a licence, construction approval, commercial operating approval or power purchase agreement.
- Follow-up questions: NRC/Coast Guard/MARAD regulatory pathway, vessel classification, liability, emergency planning, security, waterfront risk, public consent, fuel supply, waste handling, cost and who pays.
- Include `Not investment advice` because uranium, HALEU, advanced-reactor and maritime suppliers may be discussed by investors.