Container transport

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Global container shipping moves approximately 2 billion tonnes annually. This proposal describes a system of autonomous, nuclear-powered submersible barges operating year-round Arctic routes, replacing the majority of transoceanic container traffic with a fleet immune to weather delays, ice conditions, and surface chokepoints.

The system exploits a simple insight: a submarine is indifferent to surface conditions. Below the ice, the Arctic Ocean is navigable water. A vessel designed for shallow submersion rather than military depths can be built using standard shipyard methods, avoiding the specialised pressure hull fabrication that constrains conventional submarine construction.

The result is a barge—not a submarine in the military sense—that transits at 80-120 metres depth through any ice conditions, surfaces minimally for cargo operations, and requires no crew. A fleet of approximately 500 such vessels, supported by 1,500 autonomous lighters, replaces surface container shipping for all Arctic-advantaged routes: Asia-Europe, Asia-North America, and transatlantic traffic.

Submersible_Cargo_Barge_Proposal.docx

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