A technical problem prevented the shipment of MOX nuclear fuel from Cherbourg in northwestern France to Japan on Wednesday, French nuclear group Orano said, as quoted by AFP.

The tap failure “cannot be fixed in the short term, so Orano NPS, in liaison with the authorities, is arranging the return” to its La Gaza plant of one of the two packages of MOX fuel sent to Cherbourg, the group said. in communicated

The Orano plant is located 20 kilometers from Cherbourg, but according to Greenpeace, the MOX convoy follows a route longer than 40 kilometers.

Two packages of highly radioactive fuel containing plutonium arrived in Cherbourg overnight in two trucks surrounded by numerous police cars, an AFP photographer found.

The first package was loaded onto the Pacific Egret, a specialized vessel that was to transport the MOX to Japan.

According to Orano, the vessel moved to an offshore storage area with the MOX package loaded on board. On board the ship, which is owned by the British company PNTL (Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited), there are still “armed forces of the British police”, added Orano.

Orano said his teams have been mobilized to arrange for MOX to be shipped to Japan “as soon as possible,” without giving further details.

This is the eighth shipment of MOX from Cherbourg to Japan.

But according to Greenpeace, the MOX “trip” from The Hague to Cherbourg is a first.