Our expertise in shipping waste resulting from reprocessing was demonstrated when we completed the first of three shipments of high level waste to Germany at the end of 2020.

Over the coming years the UK will be returning high level waste in the form of vitrified residues to Germany. A total of three shipments will go to federal storage facilities in Germany, with the first completed at the end of 2020.

These returns involve Nuclear Transport Solutions using its expert rail and shipping capabilities in partnership with Sellafield Ltd to return the waste to German customers.

The six flasks were transported by rail from Sellafield to the port of Barrow-in-Furness, by specialist vessel Pacific Grebe to a German port, then by rail to the Biblis facility.

The waste results from the reprocessing and recycling of spent nuclear fuel at the Sellafield site, which had previously been used to produce electricity by utilities in Germany.

The Vitrified Residue Returns programme is a key component of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s strategy to repatriate high-level waste from the UK, fulfil overseas contracts and deliver UK Government policy.