Nuclear Waste Ship MV Sigrid Runs Aground in Sweden

The MV Sigrid is designed to transport up to 12 nuclear waste containers. Photo: SKB

A Swedish cargo ship designed to haul radioactive waste ran into a little trouble Friday outside the harbor of a decommissioned nuclear power plant in southeastern Sweden.

The Swedish Maritime Administration confirmed that the MV Sigrid had a pilot on board when it ran aground at about 8 a.m. as it approached the Barsebäck nuclear power plant. The ship was not carrying any dangerous cargo, the administration and the ship’s owner confirmed. Wind at the time was about 10 to 12 knots.

A tugboat, two coast guard vessels and a ship inspector from the Swedish Transport Agency were sent to assist the vessel, confirming that no oil was leaking from the ship.

By noon, a tug was able to free the Sigrid and pull it into deeper water. Within a few hours, divers were able to confirm that there was no damage to ship’s hull or propellers.

The cause of the grounding is under investigation.

The nuclear cargo vessel MV Sigrid was delivered in 2013 by Damen’s Galati Shipyard in Romania to the Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Company (SKB). The ship was designed to transport radioactive material from Swedish nuclear power plants to SKB’s facilities in Oskarshamn and Forsmark. The vessel can transport up to 12 nuclear waste containers, as well as standard cargo containers or special trucks.

The Barsebäck Nuclear Power Plant has two reactors that have been decommissioned since 1999 and 2005, respectively.

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