Nucleco, a Sogin Group company, has begun the first of 30 planned shipments to transfer approximately 230 cubic metres of low-level and very low-level radioactive waste from Nucleco’s Casaccia storage facilities near Rome to the UK for incineration at the Tradebe Inutec plant. The operation is being carried out with the involvement of Protex Italia.
The initial shipment involved transporting 18 cubic metres of waste in four certified, ISO-compliant containers under official supervision. The thermal treatment process is projected to reduce the waste volume by approximately 95%, with the resulting 11 cubic metres of ash to be to Nucleco’s for storage at the Casaccia facility pending National Repository availability.
Due to international security protocols and nuclear safety standards, the precise itinerary and real-time scheduling of radioactive waste shipments are strictly confidential. However, the operational framework, logistics layout, and regulatory parameters of the route from Rome to the UK follow a standardised international process
The route originates at the Nucleco Casaccia temporary storage facility located just north of Rome. Two heavy-goods road vehicles, loaded with four certified ISO-compliant containers, handle the continental European leg of the journey. To traverse the English Channel or the North Sea, the containers utilise specialised sea freight shipping lines authorised for dangerous goods transport. The final ground leg concludes at the Tradebe Inutec thermal treatment plant located at the Winfrith nuclear site in Dorset.
The Italian Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ISIN) issues binding technical opinions and validates the strict safety certifications for the packaging and road transport within Italian borders. The transit relies on multi-nation notification and consent, strictly adhering to the IAEA Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste.
Upon entering the UK, the cargo falls under the jurisdiction of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), which serves as the competent authority regulating the transport of Class 7 radioactive materials by road, rail, and sea.
