The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Port of Corpus Christi have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to explore small modular reactor technology for maritime applications, Port Technology International reported on 20 August 2026.
The memorandum, announced in the Port Technology International item dated 20 August 2026, formalises a joint effort to examine how small modular reactors, commonly abbreviated to SMRs, might be applied in a maritime context. The agreement marks the second such pact since the Department launched its SMR initiative in May.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy signed the memorandum and was joined at the announcement by Maritime Administrator Stephen. The published report did not supply further named individuals or direct quotations.
The document is described in the source as a cooperative instrument to explore SMR technology for maritime uses. Beyond confirming the memorandum and the Department's prior SMR initiative launch in May, the published notes do not set out technical specifications, timelines or the precise scope of potential demonstrations.
A second memorandum for the programme
Port Technology International's account highlights that this is the second agreement concluded since the Department of Transportation began its SMR campaign in May. The report frames the Port of Corpus Christi signing as a continuation of that initiative rather than the launch of an independent project.
That framing indicates the Department is pursuing multiple partnerships to examine SMRs in different settings. The published notes do not specify which other partner signed the earlier agreement or the locations involved.
What the memorandum covers, and what it does not
According to the source, the memorandum commits the parties to exploring SMR technology for maritime applications; it does not, in the published summary, assert any immediate construction, procurement or operational decisions. No technical or commercial commitments were detailed in the item.
The report likewise omits any regulatory timetable, funding figures or planned demonstration projects. It does state the Department's broader SMR initiative began in May, which situates the memorandum within an active policy push but provides no further milestones.
Industry observers will expect further announcements if the exploration moves towards concrete pilot projects or regulatory work, but Port Technology International's summary supplies only the date of the memorandum and the identities of the signatory organisations.
Port Technology International published the item as a news report. Its brief account concentrates on the formal signing and the involvement of the Department of Transportation leadership; it does not quote the signatories or reproduce the memorandum's text.
The memorandum between a federal transport authority and a major US seaport represents a notable public-sector engagement with emerging energy technologies in the maritime sphere. The published facts are limited, and further detail will be needed to assess any implications for port operations, regulatory arrangements or the wider energy transition.
For now, the confirmed facts are the memorandum itself, the participation of Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Maritime Administrator Stephen, and the link to the Department's SMR initiative launched in May, as reported by Port Technology International on 20 August 2026.