History

The STURGIS, a former World War II Liberty Ship, was converted into the first floating nuclear power plant in the 1960s. Before being shutdown in 1976, the STURGIS’ nuclear reactor, MH-1A, was used to generate electricity for military and civilian use in the Panama Canal. It is important to note that the MH-1A reactor has no nuclear fuel or special nuclear material. The reactor was de-fueled, decontaminated for long-term storage, and sealed before being towed to the James River Reserve Fleet at Joint Base Langley Eustis, Virginia; where it was stored and maintained since 1978, except for times of periodic dry dock maintenance.

Read the full STURGIS Historical Mitigation Report covering the history of the vessel from its time as a Liberty Ship in World War II, the SS Charles H. Cugle, to its conversion to the floating nuclear power plant and all the way through it's decommissioning and dismantlement. 

The team also put together a few historical videos:

Contact Information

Project Documents

This section includes the project documents to date.

Fact Sheets and Graphics

In this section you will find several fact sheets, plus informational materials that visually illustrate the project.