The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has signed a contract with Damen Shipyards Group of the Netherlands to build a new nuclear cargo vessel that will be used for sea transport of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.
The new vessel designed to meet strict environmental and safety specifications, will be commissioned in 2013, replacing the SKB nuclear cargo vessel m/s Sigyn, which has served the Swedish nuclear waste programme since the beginning of the 1980s.
The new vessel will possess redundancy in its propulsion systems, with six smaller fuel efficient engines and will feature a selective catalytic refining system to provide fuel economy and less environment impact.
SKB president, Claes Thegerstrom said that bearing in mind the cargo that the ship will carry, high demands on safety and environmental protection are self evident.
"Following a prudent negotiating process, we have been able to sign a contract with the Damen Shipyards Group. Damen is a large company with an excellent reputation, with extensive experience of building ships of different types and sizes," Thegerstrom said.