COMMENTARY | FROM OCEAN ROUTES TO OUTER SPACE
From ocean routes to outer space
At the birth of the nuclear industry movements of uranium concentrates,
research reactor fuel, and early commercial consignments were pioneering. Today, transport by road, rail, sea, and air is routine.
By Prof. Pete Bryant, Chief Executive Officer, World Nuclear Transport Institute
Sea transport enables an interconnected global fuel market but central to this progress is a rigorous regulatory framework.
liability regimes like the Paris and Vienna conventions, provide financial assurance and public confidence. In my view, what distinguishes nuclear transport from other industrial activities is the frequency in which standards and regulations are reviewed. Standards are not static. They evolve with operational experience, technological advancement, and geopolitical realities. The World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) was established to bridge operational expertise and international policy to facilitate the constant, necessary evolution. WNTI members actively contribute to the revision cycles
AS NUCLEAR ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL celebrates its 70th anniversary, I have been reflecting on a part of our industry that rarely commands headlines, yet makes everything else possible: the safe, secure, and reliable transport of nuclear and radioactive materials. In the mid-1950s, the global nuclear fuel cycle was in its
infancy. Movements of uranium, research reactor fuel, and early commercial consignments were pioneering exercises. Today, transport by road, rail, sea, and air is routine, highly engineered, and deeply embedded within international law. It is one of the most mature and consistently safe components of the nuclear fuel cycle. Sea transport enables an interconnected global fuel
market. Specialised INF vessels move MOX fuel, spent fuel, and vitrified waste across oceans under stringent international oversight. Air transport is indispensable for medical isotopes, where hours matter and reliability saves lives. While advances in package design demonstrate how engineering rigour and a conservative safety philosophy produce systems capable of withstanding extreme hypothetical accident conditions. Elsewhere, nuclear propulsion has operated safely for
decades in naval vessels, while radioisotope power systems have enabled deep space exploration. Central to this progress is a rigorous regulatory framework. The IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (SSR-6) remain the global safety foundation. Complementary Nuclear Security Series (NSS) Fundamentals and Recommendations, NSS-13, NSS-14, and NSS-20, ensure protection against malicious acts and compliance with the Convention of the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its Amendment. Furthermore, the International Convention for the Safety
of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the principles of UNCLOS establish flag state authority and freedom of navigation assuring Coastal States that transport of nuclear and radioactive materials remains safe. These, combined with international
40 | April 2026 |
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of SSR-6 and NSS publications, ensuring regulatory updates remain technically proportionate and implementable. In addition, recently WNTI successfully initiated discussions within the IMO to review SOLAS provisions. Looking forward, transport is entering a more complex era.
with transportable and floating nuclear power plants and nuclear power for commercial shipping. And the expansion of global nuclear medicine will increase demand for resilient isotope supply chains. All the while, decommissioning and waste management programmes require sustained, large-scale movements of radioactive materials under public scrutiny. Beyond Earth, we are moving from concept to development for lunar and Mars missions which will depend on safe, secure, well-regulated transport from terrestrial facilities to launch sites. Transport will once again be an enabling discipline for exploration. These developments reinforce why WNTI’s 2025–2030
strategy, “Forward Together – Safely, Securely, Sustainably,” is a necessity. Our recent agreements with the IAEA, INMM, ICRP, EPRI, and AFCONE reflect a commitment to align industry expertise with global standards, ensuring innovation proceeds with safety and security embedded from the outset. Experience demonstrates that public confidence is
earned through performance and transparency. Radioactive material transport has built one of the strongest safety records in global industry, yet we cannot be complacent. As technologies diversify, we must sustain regulatory harmonisation, invest in technical competence, and communicate effectively with stakeholders. For seven decades, Nuclear Engineering International has
informed, challenged, and connected our community. That discourse is essential as we navigate the decades ahead. If I have learned anything from the nuclear sector, it is that progress in radioactive material transport is rarely dramatic, but it is foundational. Without it, reactors do not start, isotopes do not heal, waste is not managed, and exploration does not advance. ■
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