Startup bets on floating nuclear reactors to power ports

Bluecore Energy raised $10M to build small modular reactors on barges that could dock near communities and feed the grid.

Bluecore Energy raised $10 million in a pre-seed round led by Slauson & Co. The company, founded seven months ago by Kofi Asante, who previously worked with Uber Freight, is developing small modular reactors mounted on floating barges to power ports and nearby infrastructure. Other backers include Harlem Capital, Precursor Ventures, Chris Larsen, and Kevin Hart's HartBeat Ventures.

The design uses a closed-loop water-cooled system: the reactor heats water and transfers steam to a generator that spins a turbine. The company says it would need refueling only once every few years. Bluecore aims to power the equivalent of about 15,000 homes, with the potential to scale to a major port's demand, docking near communities and connecting to the grid via subsea cables. It has secured a port terminal, a barge, and a test reactor pressure vessel.

Dispatchable clean power that can be floated to coastal or remote sites addresses a real gap — places hard to reach with transmission lines, or that need steady output regardless of weather. If it works, mobile nuclear could bring firm, low-carbon energy to communities and infrastructure that currently rely on diesel or the grid's edge.

The caveats are substantial. No reactor is deployed; the company is still validating its design and working with regulators. Claims about zero-emission transport and infrequent refueling come from the founder. This is a very early bet, and nuclear licensing timelines are long — the gap between a pressure vessel in hand and power on the grid is measured in years.

Source: TechCrunch