As previously announced, the UK will be returning high level waste (HLW) in the form of vitrified residues to Germany.
The second of three planned shipments is now safely under way. Seven flasks containing high level waste were transported from the Sellafield site in West Cumbria to the nearby port of Barrow-in-Furness by rail. The flasks were then loaded to the specialist nuclear transport vessel Pacific Grebe, operated by Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS).
The vessel departed Barrow on 26th March 2025, and is now sailing to a German port where the flasks will be offloaded for their onward journey by rail to the Isar federal interim storage facility.
This shipment is being carried out in full compliance with all appropriate national and international regulations.
The waste results from the reprocessing and recycling of spent nuclear fuel at Sellafield which had previously been used to produce electricity by utilities in Germany.
Vitrified Residue Returns (VRR) are a key component of the UK's strategy to repatriate high level waste from the Sellafield site, fulfil overseas contracts and deliver on Government policy.
Sellafield Ltd and NTS will provide further information on the shipment in due course.
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