INS / Planned shipment of Highly Active Waste from the UK to Germany

2020-02-24

INS Press Release

Over the coming years the United Kingdom will be returning highly active waste (HAW) in the form of vitrified residues to Germany. There will be a total of three shipments to storage facilities in Biblis, Brokdorf and Isar. The first shipment, to Biblis, is scheduled for the first half of 2020.

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

The Vitrified Residue Returns (VRR) programme is a key component of the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) strategy to repatriate highly active waste from the UK, fulfil overseas contracts and deliver UK Government policy.

These returns involve Sellafield Ltd working in partnership with International Nuclear Services (INS) to return the waste to German customers.

INS, a subsidiary of the NDA, will perform the shipments, drawing on more than 40 years’ experience of transporting nuclear materials safely and securely around the world.

The waste will be transported by sea on a specialised vessel to a German port, then onwards by rail to the final destinations. INS has contracted with Daher Nuclear Technologies GmbH (DNT), to safely manage the overland transport in Germany.

The shipments will be carried out in full compliance with all applicable national and international regulations, and subject to issue of all relevant permits and licenses.

INS will provide further information on the shipments in due course.

Contacts:
INS UK: Sam Wilkinson                                            
Mail: sam.wilkinson@innuserv.com                       
Tel: +44 (0) 7422 077 936                                         
INS European office: Paul Harding
Mail: paul.a.harding@innuserv.fr
Tél: +33 (0)6 73 86 29 00