RS Participates in High-level Forum Launching the IAEA ATLAS Initiative
A High-level Forum marking the launch of ATLAS (Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea), a major initiative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), took place in Washington, D.C., on August 26–27. The Forum marked a key event for the maritime nuclear energy sector this year.
Sergey Kulikov, Director General of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) and Oleg Chernov, Head of the International Affairs Department, attended the Forum as members of the national delegation. Participation was coordinated by the Department of State Policy for Maritime and Inland Waterway Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.
Established under the auspices of the IAEA, ATLAS aims to develop a harmonized international regulatory framework for the safe and effective deployment of civilian nuclear technologies at sea. The Forum brought together approximately 1,000 delegates representing more than 50 countries, alongside leading international organizations, major shipping and energy companies, industry experts and classification societies.
The opening session featured addresses by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and Nonproliferation Christopher T. Yeaw.
The first day included three high-level panel sessions addressing the strategic, legal and practical aspects of deploying nuclear technologies at sea. Participants discussed market drivers and shipping decarbonization, legal and regulatory barriers alongside practical steps towards turning conceptual designs into operational vessels and floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs).
The second day covered the presentation of six ATLAS Project Groups (PGs), which will address the following key areas:
1. PG1 — International Safety Codes and Standards;
2. PG2 — Legal and Regulatory Framework;
3. PG3 — Maritime Classification;
4. PG4 — Safeguards;
5. PG5 — Nuclear Safety;
6. PG6 — Deployment Roadmap on Technology, Infrastructure and Fuel Cycle.
During the session, RS delivered a statement outlining its particular interest in Project Group 3, Maritime Classification, emphasizing that it is the world’s only classification society including both nuclear-powered ships and FNPPs in its class, with technical supervision provided at all stages of their lifecycle. RS expressed readiness to contribute its unique practical experience in developing rules and carrying out supervisory work as a foundation for PG3’s work. To this end, RS nominated a representative with the relevant expertise to chair the Project Group.
Throughout the event, RS also held a series of bilateral meetings with senior IAEA officials, including Director General Mr. Grossi and Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security Karine Herviou, as well as other senior members of the IAEA Secretariat. Discussions were held with senior executives from leading classification societies – the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Lloyd’s Register (LR) – and with Robert Ashdown, Secretary General of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). RS reaffirmed its readiness to fully engage in ATLAS, contributing decades of experience in the classification of maritime nuclear technologies.
Several important organizational milestones are scheduled for the coming months. The Project Group chairs are expected to be announced in September 2026, with the first sessions to be held remotely this autumn. The inaugural meeting of the ATLAS Steering Committee is scheduled for December 1, 2026, while the first in-person meetings of the Project Groups are planned for spring 2027.
RS will continue to play an active role in this work, helping to establish a robust global regulatory framework for the nuclear-powered fleet of the future.
Additional information:
Founded in 1913, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) is a world-renowned classification society that operates within all spheres of the maritime industry with the goal of improving the operational and environmental safety of marine transportation. RS reviews technical documentation, surveys ships and offshore facilities under construction and in service, certifies vessels and companies for compliance with international conventions, recognizes and certifies industrial products and manufacturers, certifies quality management systems for compliance with international and national standards.
Today, RS is actively expanding its scope of services in the field of engineering and consulting, the development of technical documentation for vessels in service, marine warranty surveys, management system certification and recognition of manufacturers. In addition, RS surveys all container types, including tank containers and offshore containers, confirms compliance of packaging for dangerous goods, as well as renders services on the declaration and certification of dangerous goods and bulk cargoes.
