Over six months later than promised, the Pacific Heron docked at Sellafield’s shipping terminal at Barrow-in-Furness this evening (11th June). Built by the Mitsui Shipbuilding & Engineering Co at the Tamano shipyard in Japan, the Pacific Heron replaces the Pacific Teal – one of two armed nuclear ships – which was sent to a Dutch scrap-yard earlier this year.
At some 4000 tonnes and a cost of around £33M (paid for by overseas customers), the Pacific Heron was launched in Japan in May last year and is classified as an INF3 ship for the shipment of plutonium, MOX fuel, vitrified High Level Waste and other nuclear cargoes. With a top speed of 14 knots, and capable of carrying 20 transport flasks (2500 tonnes of cargo) in four cargo holds, the Pacific Heron has twin diesel engines, twin high-lift rudders and is described as having ‘triple hull in way of holds’.
As part of the Pacific Nuclear Transport (PNTL) fleet, and with a crew of 20-30, the Pacific Heron is understood to have been armed in Japan – unlike the Pacific Pintail and the now defunct Pacific Teal which were each armed with 3x30mm naval canon at their home port of Barrow where the fleet is registered. Extra accommodation has been provided on the new ship to carry the 12-strong security crew provided by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. The owners have refused to divulge any information on the new ship’s armament, and as the ship arrived in Barrow there was no visible sign on deck of canon having been fitted.
PNTL is co-owned by International Nuclear Services (INS) and by the French Areva company together with Japanese nuclear utilities. INS, once a subsidiary of Sellafield Ltd but now wholly owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), is the majority shareholder and responsible for the commercial management of PNTL.
Orders for 2 further PNTL ships have been placed in Japan, one to replace the Pacific Sandpiper (expected 2011) and the other to replace the Pacific Pintail (expected 2013) which currently make up the PNTL fleet along now with the Pacific Heron. .A third ship, to be wholly owned by the NDA, has also been ordered from Japan to replace the Atlantic Shearwater (expected 2010) for European and Atlantic nuclear trade.