SELLAFIELD has completed and returned a sixth shipment of highly active waste to Japan.

The shipment saw 132 canisters of waste stored in five transport flasks on a specialist nuclear cargo vessel.

They were transported by rail from Sellafield to Barrow at the end of August, where they were loaded to the Pacific Grebe for shipment to Japan.

The cargo arrived on October 20, having travelled via the Pananma Canal.

The project was a collaboration between Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited, Sellafield Ltd and International Nuclear Services.

The flasks were then taken by road to Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd’s storage facility at Rokkasho-Mura.

Mark Jervis, INS managing director, said: “We know that with meticulous planning and collaboration we can continue to deliver progress in this long-term programme.”