Another Years Decommissioning Progress At Dounreay

31st July 2007

The annual report on progress to decommission the former experimental reactor site at Dounreay is published today by UKAEA, which is responsible for carrying out the safe clean-up and demolition of the site on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). It covers the 12-month period from 1st April 2006.

The report outlines the key decommissioning achievements during the year as well as safety, environmental and financial indicators, and summarises the performance-based incentives that are used by the NDA to measure delivery and award fee. During the year, the site delivered £164 million worth of work for the sum of £146 million.

Twenty-two buildings were demolished; the first heavily-shielded cell was decommissioned and dismantled; work to create containment around the intermediate level waste shaft continued; and over 115 tonnes of sodium were destroyed. Clean-up and dismantling work generated 3,576 drums of solid low-level radioactive waste that were processed for disposal.

There were 3 lost time accidents during a total of 4.3 million hours worked, which was a significant improvement in the site's safety performance. The highest radiation dose received by a member of staff was 2.04 mSv (out of a statutory annual limit of 20mSv), and the average radiation dose was 0.06 mSv. Discharges of radioactivity to the environment remained within the authorised limits. Nineteen radioactive particles were detected during monitoring of over five million square metres of local beaches.

Recycling increased considerably last year compared to previous years. The site recycled 34.8 tonnes of paper and over 300 tonnes of scrap metal.

Dounreay Director Simon Middlemas said that there were many reasons why the workforce should be proud of its achievements during the last year. "We have carried out work more efficiently than predicted, which has enabled us to bring forward projects from future years," he explained. "At the same time our safety and environmental performance has improved greatly, something we can be justly proud of. With this level of commitment and capability by the entire team at Dounreay, including our sub contractors, it sends exactly the right message to attract other businesses into the
area for the future prosperity of the North of Scotland."

Hard copies can be obtained from the Communications Department, Dounreay (tel: 01847 806080). Dounreay Review 2006/07 can be downloaded on UKAEA's website - http://www.ukaea.org.uk/downloads/dounreay/Dounreay_Review_2006_07.pdf