A second consignment of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) has successfully made its way from the UK to Germany, marking a key milestone in the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) international repatriation programme.
The shipment, completed on Thursday 3 April, involved seven flasks of vitrified residues — a stable, glass-like form of nuclear waste — which were transported from the Sellafield site in Cumbria to the Isar Federal interim storage facility in Germany.
This delivery forms part of the Vitrified Residue Returns (VRR) programme, designed to return reprocessed nuclear waste to overseas customers. The waste originated from spent nuclear fuel used in Germany to generate electricity, which was subsequently reprocessed at Sellafield under commercial agreements.
Complex Journey, Seamless Execution
The operation was coordinated by Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), a subsidiary of the NDA. NTS handled the shipment across multiple modes of transport:
- Rail: From Sellafield to the port of Barrow-in-Furness
- Sea: Onboard the Pacific Grebe, a purpose-built nuclear transport ship
- Rail (Germany): Final leg to the Isar facility, managed in partnership with Orano NCS
The shipment was executed in full compliance with national and international safety regulations, building on NTS’s decades-long track record in transporting nuclear materials securely.
Leadership Perspective
Ben Whittard, co-CEO of NTS, said:
“This is a significant milestone in delivering UK government strategy to repatriate high level waste from Sellafield to overseas customers. Once again, NTS and its partners have demonstrated our ability to complete complex transports safely and securely.”
Ciara Middlehurst, co-CEO of NTS, added:
“Transport operations like this show the breadth of rail, shipping and technical expertise we have within NTS. I would like to thank our partners, customers and colleagues for their hard work and co-operation in making this shipment such a success.”
What’s Next?
This was the second of three planned shipments under the current phase of the VRR programme. The third and final shipment is expected to take place later this year, helping the UK meet its long-standing international commitments and continuing progress in the decommissioning and clean-up of the Sellafield site.
The successful delivery once again highlights the importance of specialist rail and maritime logistics in safely managing nuclear materials — and the UK’s continuing role in international nuclear stewardship.
