From Singapore to Amsterdam: building the future of nuclear transport

WNTC 2026 brought the international nuclear transport community together around a shared challenge: turning policy, technical expertise and cooperation into reliable journeys for the materials on which patients, industries and energy systems depend.

A shipment of medical isotopes held at a border can mean a cancelled treatment. A difference in national transport requirements can complicate an international fuel supply chain. A new reactor technology can promise much, yet depend on packaging, infrastructure and expertise that must be developed well before deployment.

These connections between transport and the people and activities it serves ran through the World Nuclear Transport Conference 2026 in Singapore. Held on 28–29 October under the theme ‘The Bridge Between Policy and Practice’, the conference brought regulatory and operational perspectives into the same conversation. Its central question was practical: how can the international community maintain safe, secure transport while responding to changing technologies, growing demand and persistent barriers to shipment?

Across the sessions, a common picture emerged. Technical capability remains essential, but successful transport also depends on consistent regulation, informed decision-making, public confidence and relationships across organisations and borders. From established industrial applications to advanced nuclear fuels, the discussions showed how closely the sector’s future is connected to the work it does today.

WNTI Chief Executive Derek Ray-Hill opened and chaired the plenary. Lucy Hughes, Deputy High Commissioner at the British High Commission in Singapore, then set the scene for the regional session with brief remarks on the importance of safe transport as the region explores nuclear energy.

The regional session brought together three countries at very different stages of nuclear energy development. Their experiences showed why a common transport framework has to work across very different national circumstances.

• Singapore is reassessing its options. Mr. Neo Zhipeng of the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute explained why Singapore decided in 2012 against pursuing the nuclear power technology then available. Advances in reactor design, including small modular reactors, have reopened the question. Singapore is building the expertise to assess whether these technologies suit its land constraints, electricity grid and energy needs.
• China is expanding at scale. Dr Guoqiang Li of the China Institute for Radiation Protection described the transport capability needed to support a growing nuclear programme. Packaging design and testing, safety assessment and shipment management all need to keep pace. Even where technical requirements are broadly aligned, differences in administrative procedures can complicate shipments.
• Japan is gradually restarting after Fukushima. Daiichiro Ito of Nuclear Fuel Transport Co. described how the 2011 accident interrupted an established programme and led to more stringent oversight. Reactor restarts and the resumption of some transport activities show how existing capabilities are being brought back into service, with public confidence central to that process.

Medical isotopes and other nuclear applications offered common ground. Whatever a country’s plans for nuclear power, it has an interest in getting short-lived isotopes to hospitals in time for diagnosis and treatment. The Q&A gave participants a chance to compare what each country’s experience could teach the others.

One of the conference’s most tangible developments was the launch of Clear Pathways, WNTI’s initiative to address delays and denials of essential radioactive material shipments.

Announced by Capt. Simon Chaplin, WNTI’s Head of Policy and Industry Engagement, the initiative connects a longstanding transport challenge with its wider consequences. Radioactive materials support healthcare, energy, agriculture and industry, yet shipments can encounter barriers arising from perceived risk, complex compliance requirements, differences between national rules and limited familiarity with Class 7 materials.

For medical isotopes, the effects can be particularly immediate. Their useful activity diminishes with time, and a delayed consignment may no longer meet its intended clinical purpose when it arrives. Elsewhere, interrupted transport can hold up projects or disrupt essential services.

Clear Pathways sets out a practical response through four workstreams: outreach and engagement; missions focused on priority routes and ports; cooperation with National Focal Points and national authorities; and a route for reporting delays and denials as they occur.

Its ambition is both immediate and longer term. Individual cases can provide opportunities to engage with the carrier, port or authority concerned, while the accumulated evidence can help identify recurring barriers and inform wider improvements.

As WNTI Chief Executive Derek Ray-Hill explained in the launch announcement, the initiative is about “turning that frustration into evidence, and evidence into change”.

That approach also recognises the importance of confidence among those who handle shipments or live and work along transport routes. Clear information about the materials, the safeguards surrounding them and the purposes they serve is part of making those routes dependable.

The other speakers showed how the UN Sustainable Development Goals translate into decisions about projects, standards, infrastructure and public engagement.

• Plan for transport from the outset. Allarakha Vora of the World Nuclear Association traced the role of transport from mining and processing to reactor operations and used fuel management. Her case for including transport in project risk planning from the start linked the sector directly to clean energy and climate action (SDGs 7 and 13).
• Make related standards easier to apply consistently. Dr. Guoqiang Li compared the IAEA’s transport regulations (SSR-6) and Basic Safety Standards (GSR Part 3). Exemption values generally agreed where both standards covered the same radionuclides. He identified gaps in coverage and a small number of numerical discrepancies, and proposed reviewing the standards together to resolve them.
• Apply international experience to local infrastructure. Lt. Lashonna Williams of the World Maritime University drew on examples from European ports to examine how The Bahamas could approach port decarbonisation within its infrastructure, financing and institutional constraints. Her work illustrated how education and knowledge exchange under SDG 17 can support progress on energy, infrastructure and climate (SDGs 7, 9 and 13).
• Engage people on their own terms. Dr. Olivia Jensen of the National University of Singapore made an eloquent case for starting with the questions people actually ask. A regulator, a carrier and a community living near a port may each see different risks in the same activity. Her advice was to make the discussion two-way, give people room to ask questions and be open about uncertainty.

For Derek, the degree of agreement recalled his experience as Director of International Strategy at Charities Aid Foundation, where bringing organisations together around shared goals was only the first step. The session showed where nuclear transport can contribute to those goals. Olivia’s point also set a test for the work that follows. The people WNTI needs to engage should have a say in what the conversation covers.

The first Safety, Security and Regulations session, chaired by Jon Dodd, explored how international frameworks and practical innovation can respond to a changing nuclear sector.

Bob Officer of the IAEA outlined developments in transport security, highlighting consistent implementation of international standards, professional training and prevention of transport incidents. His contribution also looked towards emerging civil nuclear maritime applications, including floating nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered ships.

The ATLAS initiative featured in this discussion as a means of addressing safety, security, safeguards and regulatory requirements for these applications. Security by design was an important principle: the requirements for protecting a technology and its movements need to be considered from the outset.

Khris Puckett of Sandia National Laboratories brought the discussion to shipment visibility. Integrating location, seal status and chain-of-custody information can strengthen assurance and help identify potential security concerns during transport. His presentation introduced developments in the Transportation Sealing Monitor and the Satellite Remotely Monitored Seal, developed in partnership with the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

The regulatory implications of advanced fuels were another prominent theme. Joel Kruehler of Urenco examined differences affecting the transport of uranium hexafluoride at increased enrichments, including LEU+ and high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU. His presentation highlighted the implications for packaging, operations and international supply chains, alongside WNTI’s role in coordinating industry input to the revision of the IAEA’s SSR-6 transport regulations.

The discussion demonstrated why regulatory alignment matters in practice. A supply chain crossing several jurisdictions depends on requirements that can be understood and met throughout the journey.

Mark Flynn of EnergySolutions extended this practical perspective to radioactive metal recycling. His presentation explored how suitable materials from decommissioning can follow recycling or alternative disposition routes, supported by appropriate preparation, approval and transport arrangements.

A reference project involving approximately 1,000 tonnes of material illustrated what coordinated delivery could achieve: contracting, regulatory approval and shipment were completed within nine months. The broader lesson was that transport planning can help make decommissioning routes more workable, with potential benefits for processing, secondary waste and programme certainty.

The continuation of the Safety, Security and Regulations session, chaired by Elisa Penda, widened the discussion to the different disciplines that underpin safe transport.

Christopher Jones of the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation considered how regulators and industry can find safe, compliant solutions when consignors modify Type A package designs. Examples from medical and industrial applications showed the importance of robust evidence and sound technical justification when addressing operational challenges.

Jiaxin Hao of the China Institute for Radiation Protection examined improvements to package tie-down systems under impact conditions. The presentation demonstrated how focused engineering work can strengthen package performance and safety margins.

Ximena Vásquez-Maignan of White & Case LLP then explored preventive measures under international nuclear liability conventions. The discussion highlighted the complexity of interpreting what constitutes a ‘reasonable’ measure across different circumstances and jurisdictions.

Ana Gonzalez Felgueroso of Marsh concluded with the role of insurance in risk management, governance and resilience. Together, the contributions showed how technical decisions sit within a wider framework of responsibilities, legal interpretation and financial protection.

The exchanges with the audience, particularly on nuclear liability, reflected the continuing relevance of questions that require both specialist expertise and dialogue between disciplines.

Audience exchanges on liability were particularly active. Combining legal and insurance perspectives with engineering and regulatory experience created room to examine questions that do not sit neatly within a single discipline.

The Day 2 opening plenary in Singapore launched the Women in Nuclear (WiN) Transport Contribution Award, putting the people who keep radioactive materials moving in the spotlight. Vatimah Zahrawati of Indonesia’s Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN) received the inaugural award, with honourable recognition for Joanne Lane of Nuclear Transport Solutions and Tiffani Leroue of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The WiN Transport panel made a clear case for diversity and inclusion as both a moral obligation and a competitive necessity. People deserve a fair chance to enter the industry, build a career and lead. For employers, drawing from a wider talent pool and retaining experienced people are essential to staying competitive. WiN Transport is putting that into practice through mentoring, making career routes more visible and creating opportunities for the next generation to connect with experienced professionals.

The session closed with the WNTI Lifetime Achievement Award for Frank Boulton, a veteran of the industry, an Australian nuclear transport legend and a character in his own right. From Olympic Dam to his work as a WNTI adviser, Frank brought a hands-on approach to getting operators, regulators and other partners working together. In his own words, it was about getting everyone “following the same song sheet”.

The session on Transport of NORM, Medical Isotopes and Industrial Sources, chaired by Prof. Peter Bryant, brought the people and activities that depend on transport into focus.

The session brought the consequences of transport decisions into particularly sharp focus. Its presentations moved between the hospital, the industrial supply chain and lessons from an actual transport incident. This offered a direct way to consider what proportionate regulation and operational assurance mean for those relying on a shipment.

Assoc. Professor Somanesan of Singapore General Hospital described how shipment delays and disproportionate transport requirements can affect patient care, including treatments cancelled because essential isotopes had not arrived. His contribution gave a clear human context to discussions that can otherwise centre on packages, limits and procedures.

Roy W. Brown of Curium Pharma explored concerns about the potential effects of revised A2 values on emerging targeted alpha therapies, including those using actinium-225 and astatine-211. These values help determine the activity permitted in Type A packages. His presentation questioned whether the conservatisms in the underlying models could create substantial barriers to the availability of promising treatments.

The issue connected directly with the session’s wider call for scientifically justified, proportionate and internationally consistent requirements.

For naturally occurring radioactive material, Tess Williams of Tronox described the practical challenges of transporting monazite. Limited familiarity with NORM, inconsistent definitions and differing regulatory interpretations can add cost and complexity to movements across borders.

Frank Harris of Rio Tinto offered a different operational lesson through his examination of the loss of a radioactive source in Western Australia. His presentation emphasised robust assurance, scrutiny of assumptions and the suitability of packages for their intended transport conditions. Regulatory approval remains part of a wider responsibility to apply technical judgement and operational diligence.

Taken together, the contributions reinforced the relevance of WNTI’s Task Groups on A1/A2 values and NORM transport. They also underlined the value of bringing practical experience into regulatory discussions: the effects of a requirement become clearest when considered across the full journey, including the patient or industrial user waiting at its end.

The Managing the Nuclear Legacy session explored different approaches to managing radioactive waste and legacy materials, highlighting the combination of innovation, practical implementation and stakeholder engagement needed to support long-term management activities.

Co-chaired by Kuniharu Kinoshita of WNTI and Mark Flynn of EnergySolutions, the session brought together perspectives on digital technologies, transport solutions and public communication.

Vivien Munoz-Ferrada of Dosel presented a digital approach to radioactive waste management. By combining modern monitoring technologies with integrated data management, the system provides improved visibility, enhanced traceability and a continuous chain of custody throughout the waste lifecycle. The presentation demonstrated how digital tools can support more efficient and connected management of radioactive materials from generation through to disposal.

Pengyi Wang of the China Institute for Radiation Protection addressed the challenge of transporting higher dose-rate low-level waste drums that cannot readily be shipped off-site. He presented a practical packaging solution that enables these wastes to be transported while meeting regulatory requirements, without modifications to existing waste treatment facilities. The approach offers a pragmatic way to reduce pressure on storage capacity while making use of established transport infrastructure.

Prof. Peter Bryant (outgoing CEO of WNTI and now Director of the Chadwick Institute at the University of Liverpool) concluded the session with a case study based on the Hinkley Point C mud controversy. Reflecting on the experience of communicating about radiation-related issues, he explored the relationship between technical assessments and public perception, highlighting the importance of listening, transparency and early engagement in building trust.

Together, the presentations highlighted the wide range of capabilities needed to support the management of nuclear legacy materials, from digital technologies and practical transport solutions to stakeholder engagement and communication.

The final technical session looked ahead while remaining firmly connected to present-day delivery.

Co-chaired by Jay Thomas of Orano TN and Simon Chaplin, The Future of Nuclear Applications considered the technologies, capabilities and decisions that will shape future transport needs. As Simon observed in opening the session, this was a beginning as much as a conclusion: the future depends on work already under way.

Riccardo Barbiellini of Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore explored opportunities for nuclear applications in Singapore and the surrounding region. His presentation considered potential benefits for energy security, sustainability and economic development, alongside the regulatory barriers that would need to be addressed.

Eileen Supko of Energy Resources International, WNTI’s North America Representative, examined proposed US Nuclear Regulatory Commission arrangements for microreactor transport certification in the context of regulatory reform following the ADVANCE Act. Her contribution brought together the proposed approach, stakeholder comments and relevant national laboratory studies.

Mike Valenzano of NAC International focused on the capabilities needed to support growth. Advanced reactors and small modular reactors will require additional infrastructure, equipment, qualified personnel and specialist expertise, including suitable packaging and transport solutions.

His presentation, prepared in consultation with WNTI’s representative Elisa Penda, also connected these requirements with workforce development and WiN Transport’s work to promote the visibility and recognition of women in the sector. The capacity to deliver future projects will depend on the people available to plan, assess and carry out their movements.

Beverley Stothart of Nuclear Transport Solutions closed with an example of international delivery: the transport of HALEU between Japan and the United States. Months of preparation brought together security planning, licensing, coordinated port operations and detailed passage planning.

The voyage illustrated a theme running throughout the conference. New nuclear ambitions become achievable through careful preparation and cooperation across the organisations responsible for each stage of a journey.

For many delegates who have already submitted feedback, an important benefit of WNTC was the opportunity to learn from a broad range of stakeholders and understand how shared challenges are being addressed elsewhere. That value extended beyond the presentations. Informal discussions allowed participants to exchange information about national developments, compare operational experience and establish connections that could support future cooperation.

A number of delegates also took part in two technical visits, gaining practical insights into radiopharmaceutical production and handling at Singapore General Hospital and nuclear safety research at the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute at the National University of Singapore.

The discussions in Singapore identified four priorities for the year ahead.

• Use Clear Pathways reports to identify recurring barriers and work with the organisations that can resolve them.
• Bring operational evidence on advanced fuels, medical isotopes and naturally occurring radioactive material into regulatory discussions.
• Plan packaging, infrastructure and workforce capacity alongside new nuclear applications.
• Give operators and communities more opportunity to raise their questions early.

When we meet in Amsterdam on 14–19 November 2027, we’ll have a chance to ask what has changed since Singapore. Which routes have become more dependable? Where are requirements being applied more consistently? And how far have we come in preparing for the next generation of nuclear applications?