The Ships

The ships on which the nuclear material is transported have a range of safety features far in excess of those found on conventional cargo vessels:

• Dual navigation, communications, cargo monitoring and cooling systems
• Satellite navigation and tracking
• Twin engines and propellers
• Additional fire fighting equipment, including a hold flooding system

The ships are owned by a subsidiary company called Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) , which is owned by BNFL, COGEMA and the Japanese utilities. PNTL is the most experienced company in the world for the sea transport of radioactive nuclear materials with a proven ability over more than 20 years.

The ships have a safety record second to none, having covered more than 4.5 million miles without a single incident resulting in the release of radioactivity.

Over 4,000 casks have been safely transported since the 1960's in over 160 shipments.

The ships undergo regular maintenance inspections and their equipment is regularly checked. They have a fully trained and experienced British crew and, while at sea, maintain a permanent communications link with a report center which is manned 24 hours a day.

The ships meet the highest safety rating of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations Agency which regulates shipping. It means that they are amongst the safest ships on the sea. Ships of the same design transport the same type of material within Europe and between ports in Japan.

PNTL Purpose-Built Vessel