By Eric Curl
May 19, 2025 – Once docked along Savannah’s River Street, the NS Savannah, the world’s first nuclear-powered merchant ship, and its caretakers were celebrated Sunday, as potential suitors, including local parties, answer calls to find her a new home.
The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) has meticulously cared for the N.S. Savannah since the National Historic Landmark vessel arrived in Baltimore in 2008, balancing decommissioning efforts with historic preservation, according to the Maryland Historical Trust.
Speaking from the ship’s deck during the award ceremony, Maryland Historical Trust Director Elizabeth Hughes praised the “dedicated hands of stewards who are willing to go above and beyond to ensure that what once symbolized the future is not lost to the past.”
“What makes MARAD’s achievement truly remarkable is the care and foresight they demonstrated throughout the ship’s nuclear decommissioning,” Hughes said. “Even as they undertook the complex and highly technical process of defueling and removing radioactive systems, MARAD never lost sight of the Savannah’s historical integrity, from retaining original interior spaces and design elements to ensuring interpretive features remained intact.”
The NS Savannah was named in honor of the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean after launching from the city of Savannah in 1819.
The NS Savannah is currently docked in the Savannah harbor. Eric Curl/May 7, 2025 
One of the ship’s cabins. Eric Curl/May 7, 2025 
The NS Savannah’s lounge. Eric Curl/May 7, 2025 
The machinery room where the nuclear reactor was located. Eric Curl/May 7, 2025 
A metal model of the SS Savannah, similar to a sculpture on the Savannah Riverwalk is set in a glass panel in the ship’s dining room. Eric Curl/May 7, 2025 
The ship’s lobby. Eric Curl/May 7, 2025 
The ramp to the NS Savannah. Eric Curl/May 7, 2025 
The NS Savannah’s bridge. Eric Curl/May 7, 2025
MARAD has been soliciting interest from potential entities to take custody of the vessel and provide a long-term berth, as part of a 2023 agreement to dispose of the ship. The agreement envisions preservation-based disposition options such as donation, federal retention, or partnership arrangements that would presumably involve relocating NSS to a new home port.
After being renovated and upgraded with essentials such as HVAC and Wifie, the NS Savannah is “remarkably prepared for immediate reuse” and “could welcome visitors as soon as she is turned over”, according to the NS Savannah Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the historic ship.
The Savannah Area Chamber submitted a response to the solicitation for information last year, suggesting a local nonprofit created for the purpose could potentially take charge of maintaining the ship. The chamber’s response stated that the slip next to the Savannah Convention Center could serve as a potential location for the ship.
President and CEO Bert Brantley said in an email Saturday that for the past several months the chamber has served as a convener of interested parties in learning more about the opportunity the NS Savannah presents for the community.
“Many thanks to the MARAD team for their incredible work preserving the ship and to our local partners for their continued interest, Brantley said. “We gathered virtually last week to hear from the leadership of the Battleship North Carolina to learn about how the ship there is organized, funded, programmed, etc., and we’ll get back together soon to talk further and continue to inform ourselves about potential benefits and challenges that come with this kind of undertaking.”
Other Interested Parties among the six RFI responses include the state of Rhode Island, the city of Miami and a Philadelphia-based maritime charter school.
If the ship were to one day call Savannah home, it would not be the first time. The ship made its maiden voyage to Savannah in 1962 and returned after its deactivation in 1972, with plans to become part of a proposed Eisenhower Peace Memorial. However, the memorial was never established and the ship relocated to various sites before docking in Baltimore.
RELATED: 2008 NS Savannah Public Presentation>
The decommissioning of the NS Savannah involves the termination of its Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license. As of Jan. 30, the NRC approved the License Termination Plan (LTP), allowing MARAD to proceed with the final phases of decommissioning.
About the NS Savannah
Built in 1959, the NSS is the world’s first nuclear-powered merchant ship and served as a signature element of President Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace program. While in service, the NSS demonstrated the peaceful use of atomic power as well as the feasibility of nuclear-powered merchant vessels. NSS operated in experimental service as a passenger/cargo ship from 1962 to 1965, during which time it travelled 90,000 miles, visited 13 countries, and hosted 1.4 million visitors. Following the successful conclusion of the experimental phase, the ship entered its commercial phase in 1965. The ship was operated as a cargo ship generating nearly $12 million in revenue between 1965 and 1970, as well as continuing to serve as a goodwill ambassador for the peaceful use of nuclear power. After successfully fulfilling its objectives, NSS operations were ceased in 1970 and the ship was deactivated and defueled in 1971.
Source: MARAD Request for Information
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