NDA Launches Dounreay Industry Event

26th January 2010

Caithness welcomes a raft of first-time visitors this month, as nuclear industry representatives arrive for the launch of the two-part Dounreay Industry Event on the 5th February.

The first part of the event, which will be held at the Wick Assembly Rooms, is being hosted by the Dounreay Stakeholder Group, with support from the NDA.

During the event prospective Parent Body Organisation (PBO) bidders will have the opportunity to meet with local stakeholders, and hear about the potential socio-economic impacts of the closure of the Dounreay site on the local area and opportunities for their mitigation.

Bidders will also receive an update on the NDA's emerging contracting and procurement strategies for the competition.

Ahead of this event, the NDA has today announced its planned forward funding assumptions for Dounreay.

Feedback from market engagement has reinforced the importance of having clarity and certainty on future funding for the site. Responding to this, the NDA has worked with Government on reviewing funding options that would provide this, offer an attractive package to bidders, and deliver the best value for money.

The NDA is planning to maintain funding for Dounreay at a capped level of up to £150 million per annum for the duration of the contract to achieve the site Interim End State, currently planned to be achieved by 2025. This has been termed Planned Assured Funding.

This will allow the NDA to run an effective competition and deliver value for money from a new PBO. Such an approach will provide clarity on the level of funds necessary to deliver essential components of the programme, and provide confidence that the corresponding level of funds will be sustainable in the context of future funding decisions.

These funding arrangements will mean re-phasing some major projects, which will in turn provide the PBO bidders with the opportunity to bring their own ideas and innovations to these projects. It will provide the funding necessary to deliver all the essential components of the programme at Dounreay, and provides stability for the decommissioning skill base and capability which has been created at the site.

Randall Bargelt, the NDA's Dounreay Site Director, said:"It is important to all of us to achieve the best possible outcome for Dounreay through the competition process. And the fact that we can now present a stable, attractive, package to potential bidders is really good news, particularly in the current financial climate."

He continued: "The Dounreay site has been widely recognised for its excellent decommissioning progress - and the agreed funding will offer the opportunity to improve short term affordability at the site, whilst at the same time maintaining the momentum of the Dounreay decommissioning programme."

Information on supply chain and workforce capabilities, regeneration work already underway and prospects for partnership working will also be available at the Caithness event.

The NDA will host the second part of the Industry Event which will be held in Glasgow on the 9 March 2010. This will provide the market with key information about the specific requirements of the competition.

NDA web site - www.nda.gov.uk