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

 

New Vaults Signal Start Of Waste Clearance

24th March 2011

Photograph of New Vaults Signal Start Of Waste Clearance

The clearance of tens of thousands of tonnes of radioactive waste from the redundant nuclear site at Dounreay today moved a step closer.

Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd announced the formal award of a contract to develop a disposal site for low-level waste from the decommissioning and closure of the site.

GRAHAM Construction will build the first two of up to six underground vaults capable of taking up 175,000m3 of radioactive debris from the clean-out and demolition of Britain's 20th century experiment with fast breeder reactors.

Low level waste accounts for more than 80 per cent by volume of the radioactive waste that will be produced during demolition of the site, but less than 0.01 per cent by radioactivity.

Since decommissioning started over a decade ago, approximately 11,500m3 of low-level waste has been processed and accumulated on the site.

The scheduled opening of the first vault in 2013, subject to regulatory and other consents, will herald the beginning of waste clearance from the site.

The disposal site is located adjacent to the redundant nuclear site on land owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

GRAHAM is expected to move its team into position in September and start ground excavation in October.

Approximately 140,000 metres of rock will be removed to make way for each vault.

Some of the rock from later phases will be crushed and recycled as aggregate to landscape the flattened nuclear plant, reducing the total bill for site restoration by several million pounds.

Some 8000 tonnes of aggregate made from the crushed rubble of buildings already razed is being used to build the roads and hardstanding areas at the new waste disposal site.

DSRL project manager Audrey Cooper said: "We're aggressively reducing the amount of waste we generate in the first place through new, more efficient ways to decommission and better ways to segregate and reduce the volume of contaminated waste. We expect this to reduce the total size of the facility we will need to build and bring down the cost to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority even further."

GRAHAM's contract is for the first phase of the project - the design and construction of two vaults - and is valued at approximately £13 million.

Leo Martin, Director at GRAHAM, said: "The contract to design and build the new low level waste disposal facility at Dounreay is an important one for GRAHAM and it is our firm intention that the delivery of this project makes a positive contribution to the Caithness economy.

"We are therefore actively seeking to foster local involvement and enterprise through the use of local labour, equipment and materials and will aim to utilise the skills and experience of local small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) wherever possible.

"We will be working hard with DSRL over the coming months on the design of the facilities and aim to commence on site this autumn."

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is investing £4 million in a community benefit fund attached to the development. The first payment of £1 million is due when construction starts in October.

Graham Construction web site www.graham.co.uk/

Graham Construction Ltd is an Irish company that has expanded across the UK with bases in Edinburgh and Glasgow. They employ almost 400 staff in Scotland mainly in the two main Scottish cities.
They have recently been awarded the conartract by Highland Council to build the new Aviemore Primary School at a cost of £11.9 million. The turf cutting ceramony too place for that contract on 23 March 2011.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Sellafield Ltd Welcomes Its Largest Ever Graduate CohortThumbnail for article : Sellafield Ltd Welcomes Its Largest Ever Graduate Cohort
More than 140 graduates have started at Sellafield Ltd.   Over 140 graduates have just started their exciting careers with the company in a range of business and technical disciplines, supporting Sellafield Ltd in its mission to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.  
UKAEA Newsletter - Edition 11 Published TodayThumbnail for article : UKAEA Newsletter - Edition 11 Published Today
Find out what has been happening at UKAEA in our monthly newsletter.  Read about our recent activities and upcoming events.  
NDA Group Investing In Our CommunitiesThumbnail for article : NDA Group Investing In Our Communities
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group has on 26 September 2024 published its 2023 to 2024 socio-economic report detailing a record investment in projects across the UK.   Over the last five years, the NDA group has invested £60 million in projects that enable permanent and sustainable change in its site communities, leveraging many millions more from partners.  
Record Numbers Join The NDA Group Graduate ProgrammeThumbnail for article : Record Numbers Join The NDA Group Graduate Programme
Over 100 graduates join the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group today as applications open for 2025.   As applications open for 2025, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group also welcomed its largest ever cohort of graduates today, with more than 100 new recruits ready to support delivery of one of the world's most important environmental programmes.  
Autonomous Robot Paves The Way For Future Fusion MaintenanceThumbnail for article : Autonomous Robot Paves The Way For Future Fusion Maintenance
In a world-first, a fully autonomous robot has been used to inspect the inside of a fusion energy facility.   In a world-first, a fully autonomous robot has been used to inspect the inside of a fusion energy facility.  
NDA Announces Multi-million Phd Bursary Commitment At SummitThumbnail for article : NDA Announces Multi-million Phd Bursary Commitment At Summit
At the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority biannual stakeholder summit, CEO David Peattie announced up to £5 million over five years to support around 20 PhDs.   On the 17th and 18th of September the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) hosted its biannual in person stakeholder summit, bringing together over 170 delegates from national and local government, the nuclear sector and site communities.  
NDA Group Showcases Progress On SustainabilityThumbnail for article : NDA Group Showcases Progress On Sustainability
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group publishes overview of progress being made against sustainability goals.   The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group has today published an overview of progress being made against its sustainability goals.  
NDA Group Establishes Innovative Partnership To Manage Asbestos Waste At Legacy Nuclear SitesThumbnail for article : NDA Group Establishes Innovative Partnership To Manage Asbestos Waste At Legacy Nuclear Sites
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), in collaboration with its subsidiary Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), has awarded two contracts to establish an innovative partnership for the enhanced management of asbestos waste.   The Asbestos Innovation Partnership (AIP) will work with the NDA, NWS and the supply chain, to test and develop new solutions to treat asbestos waste, helping to deliver efficiencies and enable more effective waste management.  
Corwm Visits Dounreay Nuclear SiteThumbnail for article : Corwm Visits Dounreay Nuclear Site
Members were given an overview of the scale of the problem and challenges faced in the decommissioning of the site.   In the last week of March 2024, several members of CoRWM led by the Chair, Sir Nigel Thrift, made the long journey up to the North of Scotland to visit the Dounreay nuclear site, now managed by Nuclear Restoration Services.  
NDA Group Establishes Innovative Partnership To Manage Asbestos Waste At Legacy Nuclear SitesThumbnail for article : NDA Group Establishes Innovative Partnership To Manage Asbestos Waste At Legacy Nuclear Sites
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), in collaboration with its subsidiary Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), has awarded two contracts to establish an innovative partnership for the enhanced management of asbestos waste.   The Asbestos Innovation Partnership (AIP) will work with the NDA, NWS and the supply chain, to test and develop new solutions to treat asbestos waste, helping to deliver efficiencies and enable more effective waste management.