Modified Diesel Ship Pacific Grebe Prepares To Carry Biggest Ever Nuclear Fuel Flask TN Eagle

The Pacific Grebe, operated by Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL), has undergone technical upgrades to transport a new nuclear flask called the TN Eagle, which will carry spent Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel.

Initial trials of the new systems and equipment were conducted at the UK’s Barrow Marine Terminal, after which the Grebe sailed to Cherbourg, France, for further testing.

The engineering team checked to ensure the flask fit within the vessel’s several holds.

PNTL is owned by Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), a subsidiary of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

NTS has transported over 2000 nuclear casks over five million miles, with operations spanning countries like the U.S., Japan, Finland, Germany, Sweden and France.

It has three ships in its fleet, namely, the Pacific Heron, the Pacific Egret, and the Pacific Grebe, which are being modified to accommodate the newly developed TN Eagle Flask by Orano, which is 5 m long, 3 m in diameter, with a total weight of 150 tonnes.

The flask design received approval from the French Nuclear Safety Authority in 2020 and from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in November 2023.

Orano has already received many orders for the new flask from many international clients.

Engineers in the NTS and other specialists have also made an adapter plate to secure the flask in the ship’s hold.

They also built a specialised tool to align the vessel’s removable decks with the flask during loading and unloading operations.

The preparations and vessel modifications were needed since TN Eagle is the biggest package that NTS has managed in its history.

Additionally, the upgrades will ensure that the company can safely transport nuclear materials in accordance with the regulatory and technical requirements.