Caithness Map :: Links to Site Map Great value Unlimited Broadband from an award winning provider  

 

From Caithness to the World

6th August 2015

Photograph of From Caithness to the World

A ceremonial turf cutting ceremony marked the official start of building work on the new archive that will store nuclear records from across the UK.

David Flear, chairman of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group, dug into the ground at the Wick site where the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's Nuclear Archive will start to take shape over the next 12 months.

He welcomed the step forward saying: "The NDA Archive brings a lasting legacy to the area, and I am delighted it is progressing so well. The Dounreay Stakeholder Group has been involved with the NDA on this project for some time now and everything we hoped for appears to be taking shape."

The NDA Archive, located next to Wick John O Groats airport, will become the single facility to collect and store relevant records from all the civil nuclear sites in the UK. The Archive will be accessible to the industry, for international research and to the public. As a government body, the NDA is responsible for ensuring that all relevant nuclear records are preserved and made available in line with legislation on public information. These records include hundreds of thousands of boxes from Sellafield and Magnox sites currently in archive storage, as well as many thousands of boxes from Dounreay, Harwell and nuclear sites across Britain which have been amassed over 70 years of the industry.

The NDA's Business Services Director Rob Higgins, attending the event in Wick, said the new facility and the arrangements being put in place to manage it would ensure the records are managed expertly, safely and consistently into the future as more and more sites, like Dounreay, progress through decommissioning.  "Records Management," he said, “ like all the other work done across our estate is subject to regulation and scrutiny to make sure we look after all our records safely and securely and retrievable in the best possible condition. Consolidating all of our archived records in Wick will ensure best information management practices and better value for money.”

Morrison Construction has been appointed as the build contractor and the NDA Archive is due to be completed by the end of next year, opening its doors to the public in 2017. Commenting at the ceremony, Donald Mclachlan, Regional Director for Morrison, said: “We are delighted to have secured the NDA contract and look forward to strengthening our relationships with the supply chain to create a building that is fit for purpose. This project will see us providing long term secure storage for more than 70 years’ worth of historic information, and with our previous experience of constructing the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness, we are best placed to deliver just that.”

The Wick Archive is a priority project in the Caithness & north Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Programme and is part of the NDA’s ongoing socio economic support to the area. It will also provide a new home for the Caithness Archive.
NDA Archives logo strap-line, from Caithness to the World, was originally inscribed on a stone sculpture commissioned in 1966 to commemorate the opening of the Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) at Dounreay. The sculpture remains part of the Dounreay Heritage collection and will be relocated to the NDA Archive on completion of the build.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Gad Develops Bespoke Benefits Modeller As Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Reforms Pension BenefitsThumbnail for article : Gad Develops Bespoke Benefits Modeller As Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Reforms Pension Benefits
GAD has built a pension benefit modeller to support the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as it undertakes a pension reform programme.   The Government Actuary's Department (GAD) has supported the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as it undertakes a pension reform programme.  
NDA Group Hosts First Ever Large-scale Graduate Recruitment EventThumbnail for article : NDA Group Hosts First Ever Large-scale Graduate Recruitment Event
This week, the NDA group hosted it's first ever large-scale graduate recruitment event in Manchester, with over 600 candidates in attendance.   The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group held its first ever large-scale graduate recruitment event in Manchester this week, bringing together more than 600 candidates as it looks to double the number of opportunities across its graduate schemes this year.  
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - Draft Business Plan 2024 To 2027 For ConsultationThumbnail for article : Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - Draft Business Plan 2024 To 2027 For Consultation
The NDA Draft Business Plan sets out key activities and expected progress for all 17 of the NDA's nuclear sites over the next 3 years.  We want to hear from anyone who has a comment on any aspect of this document.  
Learn And Earn - Apprentice Recruitment Open - Nuclear Waste Services - Dounreay EtcThumbnail for article : Learn And Earn - Apprentice Recruitment Open - Nuclear Waste Services - Dounreay Etc
NRS is delighted to announce that we are recruiting over 30 level 2 - 6 engineering and business apprentices to deliver our decommissioning mission.   John Vickerman, Chief People Officer, commented: "NRS is an exciting place to be.  
NDA Reaffirms Cooperation With Korea Radioactive Waste AgencyThumbnail for article : NDA Reaffirms Cooperation With Korea Radioactive Waste Agency
Leaders from the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) signed their second cooperation statement.   Yesterday, Monday 20 November 2023, leaders from the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) reaffirmed their commitment to share their knowledge, experience and technology in relation to the management of radioactive waste.  
Register Now For The Largest Nuclear Decommissioning Supply Chain Event In EuropeThumbnail for article : Register Now For The Largest Nuclear Decommissioning Supply Chain Event In Europe
Today, Monday 20 November, the NDA has opened registration for its tenth nuclear decommissioning supply chain event, which will be held at The International Centre in Telford on 27 June 2024.   Launched in 2011, the supply chain event has gone on to attract a total of around 10,000 visitors from more than 20 countries over the years, representing thousands of companies both large and small.  
Work Begins To Permanently Secure Low Level Nuclear Waste VaultsThumbnail for article : Work Begins To Permanently Secure Low Level Nuclear Waste Vaults
A key programme of work at the Low Level Waste Repository in Cumbria is making real progress.   The Repository, which is part of Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) and manages disposal of the UK's low level radioactive waste, has started key work on the final capping of historic trenches and vaults which are now full and ready for permanent closure.  
Science Fair Connecting Students To A Future In NuclearThumbnail for article : Science Fair Connecting Students To A Future In Nuclear
Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) and Women in Nuclear (WiN UK) hosted an event for young people to promote and showcase career opportunities in the nuclear industry.   Around 150 students attended the first ever Nuclear Connection Science Fair in Oxford, hosted by NWS and Women in Nuclear (WiN UK) on 10 November 2023.  
NDA Launches Search For Next Generation Of Nuclear PioneersThumbnail for article : NDA Launches Search For Next Generation Of Nuclear Pioneers
The nuclear industry is growing, as is the NDA's mission, creating a wealth of exciting opportunities with the number of graduate opportunities available in the NDA group doubling this year to more than 120.   Roles are available in dozens of different professional disciplines, right across the UK, to help safely and sustainably decommission the nation's oldest nuclear sites and support specialist nuclear waste and transport businesses.  
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Mission Progress Report 2023Thumbnail for article : The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Mission Progress Report 2023
This report shows the progress being made against the NDA mission to decommission the UK's earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and cost effectively.   The NDA Mission Progress Report (MPR) demonstrates the progress being made across the NDA group since 2005, and how much work there is left to do over the next 120-plus years.