Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL), the UK-based specialist in nuclear materials shipping, has celebrated its 50th anniversary, highlighting five decades of incident-free operations and close collaboration with Japanese and European nuclear partners. The company, which operates under Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), part of the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), was founded in 1975 to transport irradiated nuclear fuel from Japan to Europe for reprocessing. Since then, PNTL has completed more than 300 shipments, travelling millions of miles without a single incident involving radioactive release.
At an anniversary event attended by senior representatives from the UK, France, and Japan, PNTL’s leadership reflected on its legacy and its ongoing role in global nuclear logistics. “If a company anywhere in the world needs nuclear material transported, they call upon PNTL,” said Wanda Goldwag, Chair of NTS. “We’ve completed over 300 shipments in our history and travelled millions of miles across the globe. This wouldn’t be possible without the dedication and commitment of our crews.”
Maritime milestones
Originally established as a subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels plc, the PNTL ownership structure has evolved to reflect its international remit. Today, it is part-owned by the French corporation Orano, and a consortium of Japanese nuclear companies alongside the British end of the operations – Nuclear Transport Solutions. The specialist shipping operations support the reprocessing and return of spent nuclear fuel, as well as the repatriation of high-level waste, underpinning Japan’s nuclear energy cycle and low-carbon energy ambitions, while taking advantage of the UK expertise in the reprocessing industry.
The company’s history has been marked by several technological and operational milestones. Its first purpose-built vessel, Pacific Swan, entered service in 1979. A decade later, the company completed its on hundredth voyage between Europe and Japan and made its first shipment of research reactor fuel to the United States.
Evolution and green credentials
In 1995, PNTL conducted its first high-level waste shipment from France to Japan, followed in 1999 by the first transport of MOX (mixed oxide) fuel. The launch of the INF3-class vessel Pacific Heron in 2007 marked a new generation of purpose-built nuclear cargo ships.
PNTL’s global profile was further reinforced in 2016 when it completed a shipment from Japan to the United States recognised by then-President Barack Obama for its contribution to nuclear security cooperation. Looking ahead, the company has begun trials of “green shipping” innovations under the Fastrig sail-assisted propulsion initiative, aiming to reduce emissions from future voyages. The technology was showcased last year at Greenock in Scotland.
International collaboration
The 50th anniversary celebrations were also attended by Julia Longbottom CMG, British Ambassador to Japan, who praised the company’s contribution to bilateral cooperation (centre of the accompanying picture). “For half a century, PNTL has exemplified the strength of UK–Japan collaboration in the nuclear sector,” she said. “Its unwavering commitment to safety, innovation, and partnership has played a vital role in supporting Japan’s energy security and sustainability.” David Peattie, CEO of the NDA, said PNTL’s achievements were central to the authority’s wider mission. “PNTL is making a lasting and positive impact on global energy security and nuclear safety,” he said. “It remains a vital part of the NDA group’s work to manage the UK’s nuclear legacy safely and securely.”
The anniversary comes amid a year of milestones across the NDA group, including 20 years of the NDA itself, 70 years of operations and decommissioning at the Dounreay research facility in the far north of Scotland. It is also 30 years since the establishment of Direct Rail Services (as reported by RailFreight.com).
DRS was founded as a specialist rail carrier of nuclear materials, but has since grown into a fully-fledged rail freight operator, best known for its long-standing consumer goods contracts with a British supermarket chain. Nuclear Transport Solutions was formed in 2012, to integrate formerly UK government-run specialist nuclear logistics capabilities across rail, road, and sea, bringing together DRS, International Nuclear Services (INS), and PNTL under one umbrella.