NDA - On Fuel Removal From Dounreay
16th June 2011
NDA to seek views on removal of fuel from Dounreay.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is to publish a report about the proposed removal of its nuclear fuel from Dounreay and wants to hear the views of the public.
NDA inherited approximately 100 tonnes of specialist reactor fuel from the UK Atomic Energy Authority after nuclear research came to an end and work started to close down the site.
Options for the fuels range from indefinite storage at Dounreay to re-use in nuclear power stations elsewhere. The NDA's preferred option will be set out in a report later this month.
A final decision on the largest single batch of fuel - 44 tonnes of uranium metal used to breed plutonium at Dounreay in the 1960s and 70s - is expected in September.
Members of the site stakeholder group heard last night the NDA's preferred option is to remove this fuel from Dounreay and reprocess into a form more suitable for either long term storage or re-use in reactors, depending on the outcome of Government policy reviews.
Alex Anderson, head of fuels at site licence company DSRL, said decommissioning of the Dounreay Fast Reactor had progressed to the stage where decisions needed to be made about what to do with the breeder.
"The fuel is being stored securely while we get on with dismantling the rest of the facilities round about them," he said.
"Decisions taken now about the future of the fuel will help us plan for what facilities, if any, we need to retain here in the longer term. This will let us refine the timescale and cost for closure of the entire site.
"If the NDA decides the breeder should be returned to national fuel stocks, we anticipate the first batch being ready to leave the site in January next year for reprocessing at Sellafield.
"Its transfer would be carried out by DRS, the NDA's own transport company and among the most experienced in the world at moving this type of material by train. It routinely takes fuel like this to and from power stations across the UK.
"Breeder makes up just under half the total inventory of fuel inherited by the NDA at Dounreay. Work is continuing with the NDA's agreement on options for the remainder of the fuels."
If the NDA proceeds with the proposal, the far north railway line is its preferred route out of Caithness. DRS, the NDA's rail transport subsidiary, is exploring options for the development of a rail head.
Photo
Coppyright NDA and Dounreay site Restoration Ltd
Related Businesses
Related Articles
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group has launched a specialised cyber facility to accelerate collaboration across nuclear operators and the supply chain. The adoption of innovative technologies such as AI and robotics is enhancing their collective ability to successfully defend against cyber threats.
He joins from AtkinsRealis, where he was market director and delivery lead for its nuclear decommissioning and waste services business, and officially takes up the post today (18 November 2024), He succeeds John Grierson who has served as interim MD since May. NRS CEO Rob Fletcher said, "I am very pleased that Dave Wilson has agreed to join the team at Dounreay.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group have announced five organisations as winners of this year's supply chain awards. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership, PA Consulting, Antech and The Higher Activity Waste Thermal Treatment Tranche 1 Team are the big winners in this year's supply chain awards.
Find out what has been happening at UKAEA in our monthly newsletter. Read about our recent activities and upcoming events.
With a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and a keen interest in the nuclear sector, Anouschka knew Sellafield would be the best place for her to begin her career in the industry. That career has already seen her relocate from Sheffield to Cumbria and scooping the title of Sellafield Ltd Graduate of the Year.
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.
Find out what has been happening at UKAEA in our monthly newsletter. Read about our recent activities and upcoming events.
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.
Today, the ponds inside the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (or as we like to call it, Thorp) are used to store nuclear fuel that has been used in the UK's 7 operational nuclear reactors. Before taking on this new mission, Thorp reprocessed 9,000 tonnes of used nuclear fuel from around the world, generating an estimated £9 billion in revenue for the UK over 2 decades.
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.
