International Nuclear Services

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Tuesday 22 December 2009
Uranium Shipment
A consignment of reprocessed uranium left the Sellafield site in the last week en route to Russia, where it will be processed prior to its manufacture into new fuel.

Friday 11 December 2009
Visit to INS Emergency Response by New Zealand Government
International Nuclear Services (INS) recently hosted a successful visit to its Marine Terminal at Barrow-in-Furness, UK, by two representatives of the New Zealand Government’s National Radiation Laboratory (NRL), accompanied by the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT). The visit was arranged as part of the ongoing cooperation between New Zealand and the UK, regarding transport through coastal waters and emergency response arrangements.

Wednesday 25 November 2009
Return of Highly Active Waste, the journey begins
A key milestone in the first return of solid highly active waste (HAW) from the Sellafield site to overseas customers has been achieved with the loading of canisters into a flask, and the transport of the flask from the Residue Export Facility (REF) to the Flask Marshalling Area on the Sellafield site.

Friday 13 November 2009
Changes to the INS Board
INS is pleased to announce that following an INS Board meeting, Mr John Clarke, Divisional Director Commercial, for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), has been appointed as chairman of the INS Board.

Thursday 12 November 2009
Latest progress in the Residue Export Facility
The Residue Export Facility (REF) on the Sellafield Site has entered the final stage of preparation before commencing the first return of solid highly active waste to overseas customers.

Monday 9 November 2009
Visit by Leading Academics to the INS Marine Terminal
INS, Areva and ORC recently hosted a joint visit of leading academics from Chile and Argentina.

Thursday 5 November 2009
Young Workington artists go international!
Japanese Picture Exchange 2009 – Tenth Anniversary Celebration

Friday 30 October 2009
Sellafield land sale agreed
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has this week announced the sale of an area of land lying to the north of the existing site at Sellafield in Cumbria. As reported on the 5 August 2009, this sale has followed a period of market engagement and negotiation with interested parties.

Tuesday 27 October 2009
Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP) Current Position
The NDA has today made an announcement about the future of SMP. The announcement also refers to the important role of INS in securing the long term future for the plant.

Friday 9 October 2009
INS delivers a successful first year
International Nuclear Services (INS) has signalled a very successful first year in its Annual Review and Annual Report and Accounts published today, delivering value from recycling and generating a significant contribution in support of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) mission.

Monday 28 September 2009
VRR programme set to commence in 2009/10
For over 30 years, overseas used nuclear fuel has been reprocessed in the UK, under contract at Sellafield, to separate and recover the reusable nuclear materials from the waste.

Friday 18 September 2009
Keel Laying Ceremony for a third new PNTL Ship
International Nuclear Services (INS) is pleased to announce that the keel laying ceremony for the blessing of the construction of the third new INF3 vessel, has taken place. The ceremony was held at the Tamano shipyard, Japan.

Thursday 17 September 2009
End of an era for the European Shearwater
As reported on the 15 June 2009, one of the vessels operated by International Nuclear Services to transport a range of nuclear materials between the UK and mainland Europe, has been taken out of service and has been sent for recycling.

Monday 14 September 2009
Visit of French High Committee to Barrow Marine Terminal
International Nuclear Services (INS) hosted a visit to its Barrow Marine Terminal recently by members of the French High Committee for Transparency and Information on Nuclear Safety (HCTISN).

Wednesday 26 August 2009
New INS Publications
A new publication, “Transporting nuclear materials – the High Security Vehicle” and two revised publications, “Transporting nuclear materials – MOX” and “Transporting nuclear materials – The Atlantic Osprey” have been added to INS’ comprehensive range.

Monday 17 August 2009
Visit of Chinese delegation to Sellafield
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), supported by International Nuclear Services (INS), hosted a visit to the Sellafield site recently by members of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) and the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The visit was in the spirit of cooperation between the UK and China and included discussions on a variety of topics including spent fuel management, waste management and decommissioning at Sellafield. The delegation also visited several facilities and projects on the Sellafield site.

Wednesday 5 August 2009
Sellafield Land Disposal moves to next phase
Following the NDA’s announcement of the 8 June, regarding the start of the disposal process for land adjacent to its nuclear site at Sellafield in Cumbria, the NDA's programme has moved to the next phase with the closure of the period for companies to express an interest in taking part in the process.

Monday 3 August 2009
New Website for Stakeholder Group
The West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group (WCSSG) has launched a brand new website.

Monday 27 July 2009
Partnership keeps the lights on
Recently representatives from British Energy, one of our customers, came to Sellafield to say thank you to the Flask Maintenance team who have worked extremely hard to find a solution to a flask related problem that had been first identified some time ago.

Tuesday 21 July 2009
NDA delivers a successful year
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has this week (20 July) published its 2008/09 Annual Report & Accounts, showing successful delivery of its programme within its £2.7 Bn budget and with £183 M of efficiency savings ploughed back into the clean-up mission.

Thursday 16 July 2009
Thorp milestone reached
Thorp has reached a significant milestone having sheared its 6,000th tonne of fuel.

Friday 19 June 2009
Keel Laying Ceremony for new PNTL Ship
Following the successful launch of the Pacific Heron as part of the Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) fleet, on the 10 May 2007, International Nuclear Services (INS) announced on the 23 July 2007, the order of two further INF3 class purpose built ships for transporting radioactive materials.  INS is now pleased to announce that the keel laying ceremony for the blessing of the construction of the first of the new vessels has taken place at Tamano shipyard, Japan.

Wednesday 17 June 2009
NDA announces new CEO
The NDA has today announced the appointment of Tony Fountain as their new Chief Executive Officer.

Tuesday 16 June 2009
Atlantic Osprey Returns to Service
The Atlantic Osprey has recently been returned to full service following a successful programme of work to modify the vessel.

Monday 15 June 2009
Decommissioning of the European Shearwater
Operated by International Nuclear Services for the NDA, the Shearwater has been in service since 1981, giving years of excellent service.

Monday 8 June 2009
5000th container of vitrified high level waste produced at Sellafield
Sellafield Ltd recently announced the production of the 5000th container of vitrified high level waste in the Vitrification plant at Sellafield. The plant converts liquid high level waste into a solid form by mixing it with glass (a process known as vitrification). For further information on this major milestone, please refer to the Sellafield Ltd website (www.sellafieldsites.com).

Monday 8 June 2009
NDA launches land disposal process at Sellafield
The NDA has today announced the start of the disposal process for land adjacent to its nuclear site at Sellafield in Cumbria.

Thursday 28 May 2009
Evaporator B Return to Service
Evaporator B is in the process of being returned to service to support reprocessing on the Sellafield site, as a result of the successful completion of detailed technical investigations. There was no impact on Thorp or other reprocessing activities on the site while Evaporator B was undergoing investigation following a temporary shutdown.

Thursday 28 May 2009
MOX Fuel Delivered Safely To Japan
The transportation by sea of MOX Fuel, that departed France for Japan in March 2009, has been completed safely. This represents a continuation of INS/PNTL’s 40-year record of transporting nuclear material without any incidents involving the release of radioactivity.

Tuesday 19 May 2009
Arrival of the MOX Fuel Shipment from Europe to Japan
The PNTL vessels the Pacific Heron and the Pacific Pintail, which left France on 5 March 2009 carrying a consignment of Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel to Japan, have now arrived in Japanese waters and Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. has taken receipt of MOX fuel at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant.

Thursday 30 April 2009
Winning Bidders in NDA Land Auction
On the 29 April 2009 the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority announced the successful conclusion of its auction process for the disposal of land adjacent to three existing nuclear sites at Bradwell in Essex, Oldbury in South Gloucestershire and Wylfa in Anglesey.

Tuesday 28 April 2009
Uranium and Waste successfully returned to Sweden
International Nuclear Services (INS) and Sellafield Ltd have successfully returned Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) and uranium product to its Swedish customer AB SVAFO.

Friday 17 April 2009
Potential Sites for New Nuclear Power Stations
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has this week (15 April) published a list of eleven sites that could be potential hosts to new nuclear power stations in the UK.  For more information please access the DECC website on: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn042/pn042.aspx

Wednesday 1 April 2009
New website for International Nuclear Services
Welcome to the new website for International Nuclear Services, which is launched today (1 April 2009) on the first anniversary of International Nuclear Services becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Tuesday 31 March 2009
Partnering Charter
A Partnering Charter between INS and Sellafield Ltd was signed on 24 March 2009. The Charter sets out the vision, principles and behaviours that both organisations will adopt in carrying out their respective responsibilities and obligations. A copy of the Charter is attached.

Friday 6 March 2009
Departure Information for MOX Fuel Shipment from Europe to Japan
Following our press release of 28 January 2009, we are now in a position to communicate the following information about the shipment of Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel to Japan that departed from France on 5 March 2009 (GMT).

Monday 2 March 2009
MOX Fuel Shipment from Europe to Japan
Following our press release of 28 January 2009, we are now in a position to communicate that the forthcoming shipment of Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel from Europe to Japan will be sailing from France.

Thursday 29 January 2009
MOX Fuel Shipment
The industries of three countries, namely Japan, the UK and France, have held discussions on MOX fuel shipments from Europe to Japan in close consultation with their respective governments. In this connection, we have decided to make an announcement on the next shipment as follows:

Friday 23 January 2009
NDA to nominate land for new nuclear
The NDA has today announced that it expects to nominate land near Sellafield, Wylfa, Oldbury and Bradwell, for consideration under the Government’s Strategic Siting Assessment (SSA) process to identify sites suitable for nuclear new build.

Thursday 15 January 2009
New Managing Director of Sellafield Ltd
A joint statement was issued today by Nuclear Management Partners (NMP). Sellafield Ltd and the NDA announcing that William (Bill) Poulson has been appointed Managing Director and Chairman of the Sellafield Site Licence Company. Bill will replace Bob Pedde, the current Managing Director, who has reluctantly stepped down from his position because of a family health issue.