Nuclear ship embarks on pioneering green shipping initiative

Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) has become the first nuclear transport operator in the world to install and trial revolutionary new sail technology on its specialist ships in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint.

In collaboration with Smart Green Shipping (SGS), a renewable marine technology specialist, the exciting project aims to establish new ways of reducing fuel and greenhouse gas emissions on its nuclear ships.

Installation of SGS’s cutting-edge FastRig wingsail was completed on one of NTS’s specialist vessels, the Pacific Grebe – a purpose-built ship designed to safely carry nuclear cargos around the world.

The innovative technology uses wind power to help propel the ship, potentially reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 30% on a full commercial installation.

The FastRig wingsail is a lightweight, retractable solution which uses specialist sensors and automated technology to adapt to changing weather conditions, allowing it to deploy and retract as necessary to ensure both fuel efficiency and safety.

NTS and SGS’s collaboration marks the first time a system like this has been installed on a specialist ship of this kind. It underpins NTS’s ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable operations in adopting cleaner, greener shipping technologies.

The ship has left its home port of Barrow-in-Furness and will be running sea trials this month.

Seth Kybird NTS CEO

Pete Buchan NTS’s Managing Director of Shipping

“NTS demonstrates great leadership in pioneering the world first sea trials of FastRig, we’re delighted to work in partnership with them. Their ships demand the very highest safety standards and our collaboration shows Fastrigs can be installed on any ship.

NTS is allowing SGS to undertake formal sea trials which gives us accurate, independently verified performance data against which we can corroborate the digital models and tank testing results the University of Southampton have been developing.
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Diane Gilpin CEO of Smart Green Shipping

About NTS

NTS is the leading global provider of safe, secure and reliable nuclear transport and logistics solutions that help make the world safer and more sustainable.

Part of the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), a public body responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient clean-up of the UK’s nuclear legacy. Its primary objective is to support the NDA’s mission. Its work involves a range of activities including transporting spent fuel from UK power stations to Sellafield, the return of reprocessing products to customers overseas, and packaging and licensing support to the NDA group.

NTS was launched in April 2021 bringing together Direct Rail Services (DRS), International Nuclear Services (INS) and Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd (PNTL) – its respective rail and shipping divisions – into a single transport organisation.

For more information contact:

Andrew Butler, Media & External Affairs Communications Manager

E: [email protected] M: +44(0)7730147523

About Smart Green Shipping

Smart Green Shipping unlocks wind power for the shipping industry by building and financing autonomous, retrofittable wind technologies to help reduce carbon emissions by 30%. The first product in the suite is FastRig – a 100% recyclable wingsail – is undergoing at-sea trials with NTS in October 2024 in a project part-funded by the UK Government.

Smart Green Shipping works closely within the shipping ecosystem including cargo owners Drax, shipowners MOL, Ultrabulk, NTS and has received support and investment from Scottish Enterprise. Its technical team comprises Humphreys Yacht Design, Houlder, Malin Group, Caley Ocean Systems, Argo Engineering, Lloyd’s Register and the University of Southampton.