Emergency call from nuclear waste vessel
Last week “Puma” delivered nuclear waste in Murmansk. On its return voyage around Norway’s Finnmark coast, a leakage happened and the vessel had to seek emergency assistance.
The vessel is currently portside in Hammerfest in Northern Norway, reports the local newspaper Finnmark Dagblad.
Over the last two weeks, BarentsObserver has reported about the small cargo vessel “Puma” that sailed all round Europe from Slovenia to Murmansk with spent nuclear fuel from a Serbian research reactor. “Puma” unloaded the highly radioactive waste in Murmansk last Thursday and then sailed back.
The nuclear waste vessel got much attention while sailing around the coast of Norway.
On the return on Saturday, the vessel got a leak and stared to take in water in its engine room. Luckily, the vessel did not have any nuclear waste onboard on its return voyage.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Northern Norway was alarmed and a rescue vessel sailed to assist “Puma” around 9 pm. Saturday night. “Puma” then sailed in to sheltered wasters around Sørøya near Hammerfest where it anchored up.
The Norwegian Coast Guard vessel “Farm” also assisted “Puma”. The vessel sailed to the port in Hammerfest Sunday morning.
On its way to Murmansk “Puma” had containers with 8,6 kg highly enriched spent nuclear fuel and 45 kg of low enriched spent nuclear fuel.
Read also: More European nuclear waste heading to Murmansk
This is not the first time a nuclear cargo vessel has perceived risk on its return voyage from Murmansk. In 2009, the Russian vessel “MCL Trader” delivered a load of Polish nuclear waste in Murmansk. On its return voyage, the vessel had to sail into sheltered waters in Troms due to bad weather.
