The Dounreay Socio Economic Plan sets out the main activities to be undertaken by the Dounreay Socio Economic Alliance (DSEA) which consists of Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Cavendish Dounreay Partnership (CDP) and Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL. DSEA's activities are based on support to mitigate the economic impacts of the decommissioning of the Dounreay site.
Weeks commencing 15th & 22nd October. Energy & Business Services: Cavendish Dounreay Partnership, the Parent Body Organisation at Dounreay, made a significant announcement last week on opportunities for its workforce .(https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dounreay-management-makes-long-term-employment-commitment-to-workforce), which included a commitment to "develop training and support programmes to put individuals in the strongest possible position to move into another local job with one of the growing industries such as space or renewable energy.
The companies responsible for decommissioning Dounreay on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority have set out proposals to ensure long-term employment for their workforce after the site closes. Around 1,100 Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) staff taking apart the former research site have been told about a series of future commitments including the offer of a job with one of the companies behind the site's parent body organisation Cavendish Dounreay Partnership.
Weeks commencing 17th September- 1st October 2018. Energy & Business Services: CNSRP partner Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in association with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Scottish Government, has launched a programme called "Fit For Offshore Renewables (F4OR)." This is a service to help the UK supply chain get ready to bid for work in the offshore renewable energy sector.
The Caithness & North Sutherland Fund has recently committed over £50,000 to six community projects in its latest round of grant awards. Jim MacGregor, CNSFund Chair said, ‘'Our latest funding investment supports improvements to historic and cultural visitor points of interest, village festivities, tourism development, watersports events and young people initiatives.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has made leadership changes in Caithness and Sutherland, following the recent announcement of plans to create a spaceport near Tongue. Roy Kirk has moved from his role as area manager to become project director for the new spaceport, where he will lead HIE's plans to develop the new satellite launch facility.
WeekCommencing 20th August 2018 Energy & Business Services: Good to see another Beatrice milestone being reached this week, with the news that all of the inter-array cabling for the development has now been completed. With the crew transfer vessels based in Wick now able to use the new pontoon berths at the harbour the project is reaching the critical phase where construction work and operations work are both moving ahead quickly.
19 August 2018 Energy & Business Services: It was good to meet this week with Mike Muir of M2 Procurement & Commercial Services. Mike has extensive experience in procurement and commercial services, particularly in the nuclear sector, and I was delighted to hear that M2PCS has recently been awarded a contract to help develop the "Open4Business" portal that SSE has used to advertise many of its supply chain contracts.
On Thursday 16th August 2018 councillors on the Environment, Development and Infrastructure committee will discuss the update from Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership which is reproduced below. 3.
Week Commencing 23 July 2018 UK Vertical Launch Sutherland: Following last week's major announcements concerning the vertical satellite launch facility proposed for North Sutherland, it is good to see interest and comment continue to appear in the press. I was particularly delighted to see the pieces in this week's local press with Caithness Chamber's Chief Executive Trudy Morris highlighting the work that has been put in from a number of CNSRP partners in attracting the opportunity to the north.
Week Commencing 16 July 2018 UK Vertical Launch Sutherland: Around three years ago, Roy Kirk and colleagues from CNSRP partner Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) began to investigate the potential economic benefits of developing a facility somewhere on the north coast from which to launch small scale satellites into polar and sun synchronous orbits. The market for small scale satellite applications continues to grow, with Glasgow already a centre for space industry businesses.
Week commencing 9th July 2018. Energy & Business Services: * Yet another milestone was achieved for the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm (BOWL) project this week, as the final turbine foundation (number 86 of 86) was installed by contractor Seaway Heavy Lifting.
Partners in the Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership (CNSRP) have given a warm welcome to Ian Ross as he takes over the role of Independent Chair from Sir Anthony Cleaver. Following a public recruitment campaign Ian Ross this week takes on a two-year contract as Independent Chair of CNSRP, as its partners continue to support the area's economy to transition away from dependence on nuclear decommissioning work.
Roc Technologies Awarded 5-year Strategic IT Transformation and Managed Service Partnership by Dounreay. Roc Technologies recently announced it has been awarded a 5-year contract to transform and manage IT services by Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd(Dounreay).
Week Commencing 17 June 2018 Energy & Business Services: Representatives of Sykes @ Home were in Caithness this week to begin a recruitment process for Homeworkers, beginning with a well-supported drop-in recruitment event in Thurso. CNSRP partner Highlands and Islands.
Roc Technologies today announced it has been awarded a 5-year contract to transform and manage IT services by Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd(Dounreay). Dounreay is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Cavendish Dounreay Partnership Ltd, a consortium of Cavendish Nuclear, Jacobs and AECOM and funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to deliver the site closure programme at Dounreay.
Weeks commencing 4th and11th June 2018 Energy & Business Services: I'm looking forward next week to meeting with representatives of Sykes @ Home when they come to Caithness to begin a recruitment process for Homeworkers. CNSRP partner Highlands and Islands Enterprise has continued to work on attracting business services opportunities to the north, and this one will be of interest to many people in the area.
Tourism: Interesting to note that Whitbread have this week confirmed an intention to submit planning application to build a Premier Inn in Thurso. The proposal is for ground near Thurso railway station, and the news has been given a cautious welcome, with some questions about effects on existing hotel businesses.
More than 200 people packed into the Weigh Inn hotel in Thurso this week as Dounreay Site Restoration Limited and supply chain partners shared plans and ideas about the decommissioning of the site. Leading nuclear firms mixed with numerous small and medium sized enterprises for the event which was attended by those who either support the site through existing framework contracts or have registered for the innovative ‘LINC with Dounreay' scheme.
Weeks Commencing 7th - 21st May 2018 Energy & business services: As the first towers for the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm arrive in Nigg this week, Crown Estate Scotland has begun looking ahead to the next generation of offshore wind projects in Scotland. The Moray Firth has been a real focal point for offshore wind in Scotland, with the Beatrice project set to enter its operation and maintenance phase in 2019 and the Moray Offshore project currently moving towards financial close during 2018.