Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - Draft Business Plan Consultation

27th December 2018

Photograph of Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - Draft Business Plan Consultation

In this consultation, the NDA wants to hear from members of the public, nuclear regulators, employees within our businesses, trade unions, local authorities, Site Stakeholder Groups, Non-Governmental Organisations and any other organization or public body. In your response please state whether you are responding as an individual or representing the views of an organisation. If you are responding on behalf of an organisation, please make it clear who the organisation represents and, where applicable, how you assembled the views of the members.

We are happy to receive comments on any aspect of our Draft Business Plan and these will be considered where appropriate. When considering responses to this consultation, the NDA will give greater weight to responses that are based on argument and evidence, rather than simple expressions of support or opposition.

This consultation begins on 3 December 2018 and will close on 4 February 2019.

You can respond by letter, fax or email using the contact details below. Please address all responses to NDA Business Planning, Business Plan Consultation.

All of the nuclear sites are included in the plan an full information can be found at -

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nuclear-decommissioning-authority-business-plan-2019-to-2022

Dounreay

Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL is owned by a Parent Body Organisation (PBO) - Cavendish Dounreay Partnership Limited comprising Cavendish Nuclear, CH2M Hill & AECOM)

DSRL is contracted to carry out the decommissioning of the Dounreay site as well as the operation of the Low Level Waste (LLW) disposal facility next to the licensed site. In March 2015, a revised Lifetime Plan was approved, incorporating scope to move material from Dounreay to Sellafield, that had not been agreed or finalised when the original contract was signed. In July 2015, this scope was further updated. Dounreay will continue to deliver within its assigned annual site funding limits, while also delivering the additional scope. The contract extension required for the additional scope is still earlier than the pre-competition baseline for achieving Interim End State. The activities below give the current understanding of the updated plans and are subject to change.

£185 million

planned expenditure for 2019/20

60-hectare site

(plus 12 hectares designated for LLW facility) in Caithness

60 hectares remain covered by the nuclear site licence, the 12 for the LLW facility are designated but not licensed.

Modification in designating direction signed by the Minister in Jan 2012.

Current milestones:

2025 - Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) dismantled

2025 - all fuel in long-term storage or shipped off site

2026 - Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) dismantled

2028 - Shaft and Silo encapsulation complete

2030 - site clearance and environmental restoration phase 3 complete

2030-2033 - interim end state achieved

All of the nuclear sites are included in the plan an full information can be found at -

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nuclear-decommissioning-authority-business-plan-2019-to-2022

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

21/9/2026 : Other Public Services

What happens when the number of jobs and the amount of spending generated by Dounreay eventually begin to fall?

Dounreay is no longer the giant nuclear research establishment it once was, but a new economic assessment shows that it remains one of the most important pillars of the Caithness and north Sutherland economy.   The question that follows from that is perhaps even more important.  

21/9/2026 : Other Public Services

Dounreay Supports Almost One in Four Jobs Across Caithness and North Sutherland

Dounreay Supports Almost One in Four Jobs Across Caithness and North Sutherland Dounreay's importance to the Caithness economy is even greater than many people might realise.   A new economic impact assessment commissioned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and carried out by PwC estimates that the Dounreay site supported £179 million of economic activity in Caithness and North Sutherland during 2024/25.  

21/9/2026 : Other Public Services

 
Dounreay's Famous 'Golf Ball' Will Be Painted – But When Will It Finally Come Down?

There is something slightly strange about spending money painting a building which is eventually going to be demolished.   That is what is happening at Dounreay, where the famous steel sphere containing the Dounreay Fast Reactor is being maintained while the difficult job of removing what remains inside it continues.  

14/8/2026 : Other Public Services

Scotland Has the Sites, Skills and Dounreay — So Why Is It Saying No to Britain's Nuclear Future?

There is something increasingly strange about Scotland's position in Britain's emerging nuclear revival.   Scotland has nuclear sites.  

28/7/2026 : Other Public Services

Caithness at the Centre of Scotland’s Electricity Revolution: The Transformation Happening Around Us

Caithness at the Centre of Scotland’s Electricity Revolution: The Transformation Happening Around Us Look across Caithness today and it is easy to see individual electricity projects – a new substation here, a cable route there, construction work around Dounreay or Spittal.  But put them together and a much bigger picture emerges.  

28/7/2026 : Other Public Services

Orkney Link Reaches Major Milestone at Dounreay – What It Means for Caithness and Scotland’s Energy Future

A major piece of underground engineering at Dounreay has been completed, bringing the Orkney electricity link another step closer to reality and putting Caithness at the centre of a project designed to unlock hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy.   SSEN Transmission has announced the successful completion of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) at Dounreay, describing it as a major milestone in the construction of the Orkney Link.  

30/6/2026 : Other Public Services

 
Innovative robotics trialled to tackle nuclear waste challenges

Innovative robotic solutions being trialled at Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) Oldbury site to tackle most challenging aspects of legacy waste management.   Oldbury nuclear decommissioning site is a trailblazer for robotics and other innovative approaches, with NRS deploying robotics trials in South Gloucestershire to tackle some of the most challenging aspects of legacy waste management, reducing risk to workers and improving efficiency.  

25/6/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Completion of UK’s high-level waste return programme to Germany

Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) has delivered the third and final return of high-level waste (HLW), in the form of vitrified residue, to Germany.   This marks the completion of an international commitment between the UK and Germany, and a significant milestone in the UK’s nuclear clean-up mission.  

16/6/2026 : Other Public Services

 
NDA group employees recognised by His Majesty the King

Three NDA group employees awarded honours in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours list.   Three NDA group employees have been awarded honours in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours list, for services to the nuclear industry and the local community.  

4/6/2026 : Other Public Services

Wylfa Decommissioning But With Good Propects For Future Nuclear Dvelopments

Wylfa, located on Anglesey, North Wales, is a historic nuclear site that operated from 1971 to 2015, featuring the UK's largest and last Magnox reactors.   Known for its significant contribution to UK energy, it is currently undergoing decommissioning while being designated as a premier location for new, small modular reactor (SMR) technology.