Norway & Nuclear Ships, Norway deploys drones

Posted: 10th January 2022

A sharp increase in nuclear-powered vessels and ships with radioactive materials pose an increasing risk of accidents, a recent radiological- and nuclear risk assessment study for the Arctic Council concludes. The risk is moderate and increasing in regards to nuclear-powered vessels and floating nuclear power plants, the report reads. Now, authorities take action and deploy drones with radiation detectors on board Norway’s fleet of five Inner Coast Guard patrol vessels, from the North Sea region in the south to the Barents Sea in the north. The danger is obvious. A worst-case scenario is a nuclear-powered vessel with a reactor leakage drifting at sea or running aground with a wind direction towards populated areas. In northern Norway, nine out of ten inhabitants live less than four kilometres from the sea. A drone can help measure levels of radiation in close vicinity to the vessel in distress without exposing any of the emergency response teams to danger. The Coast Guard is already on 24/7 watch and plays an important role in emergency preparedness. Barents Observer 3rd Jan 2022  https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/nuclear-safety/2021/12/concerns-over-nuclear-powered-ships-grow-norway-deploys-radiation-drones