NDA sets out Dounreay clean-up tasks

30th March 2015

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the public body that owns Dounreay and funds its clean up, has published its annual business plan, setting out key tasks for the site licence company DSRL to deliver in the next 12 months.

These include: -
Decontamination of Prototype Fast Reactor pond to meet regulatory requirements - Completion of construction of new fuel characterisation facilities -
Material Test Reactor raffinate immobilisation complete -
Continuous improvement in health, safety and environmental performance.

The plan, laid before the UK and Scottish parliaments following a period of consultation, also sets out planned key activities for 2016-18: -
Complete removal of all fuels from Dounreay Fast Reactor -
Dounreay Fast Reactor raffinate immobilisation complete -
Prototype Fast Reactor raffinate immobilisation complete -
Letters of consent received from disposal authority for all wastes in store at interim end state
Planned expenditure on Dounreay during the next 12 months is £209 million.

This includes additional money allocated for additional work required by NDA to complete the closure of the site.
"In early 2015, a revised Lifetime Plan for Dounreay will be approved, incorporating scope that had not been finalised when the original contract was agreed," states the NDA.

"Dounreay will continue to deliver within its previously assigned annual site funding limits, whilst also delivering additional scope.

"This will result in an extension to the date by which Dounreay will achieve its Interim End State.

"The activities below now reflect the revised Lifetime Plan, however, agreement is still to be reached with DSRL regarding the specifics of activities associated with the additional scope and thus they have not been included."

The plan lists some of the key milestones on the path to site closure:
2017 -Complete Dounreay Fast Reactor fuel removal from reactor
2022 - Decontamination of Dounreay Fast Reactor structures suitable for demolition
2024 - Prototype Fast Reactor liquid metal residues destroyed
2027 - Shaft backfi lled and capped 2029/30 - Interim End State achieved
DSRL said its priority was to deliver the NDA programme in a way that causes no harm to people or the environment.

See the NDA business plan at -
http://www.nda.gov.uk/2015/03/business-plan-published/