Decommissioning
The facilities built at Dounreay to research and develop the fast reactor system of electricity production are no longer required, so they are being cleaned out and dismantled.
Approximately 180 facilities were built at the site. Some are very straightforward to dismantle. Others require great care because of chemical or radiological hazards. About 50 facilities have a history that involved the presence of radioactive materials and special controls are in place around these to contain radiation.
Areas of ground have been polluted by radioactive materials and chemicals, and need to be remediated. Radioactive particles are present on the seabed and have been found on local beaches. A programme of monitoring is in place to safeguard the public pending clean-up of the seabed.
Key to successful decommissioning is careful planning and risk assessment. This is designed to keep to a minimum the exposure of workers to radiological and other hazards and minimise the impact on the environment.
In some facilities. radiation levels may be too high for workers, so robotic equipment is used until the levels are low enough for safe entry. Protective equipment worn by workers entering these areas can include air-line suits and respirators.
Decommissioning generates different types of waste, from conventional industrial wastes to hazardous materials such as asbestos and radioactive materials. Waste which cannot be recycled is segregated and processed at site for storage or disposal.
Every year, the site produces a new long-range plan for the closure and remediation of the site. Lifetime Plan 2008, submitted to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in March 2008, aims to complete decommissioning of the redundant facilities by 2025, when all the wastes will be packaged in a form that is safe for long-term storage or disposal. This is known as the "interim end state".
Monthly site performance report
Artist's impression of Dounreay in 2025
Cleaning out an old facility wearing full airline suit protection
Asbestos removal during decommissioning
Decommissioning inside the PFR
Fuel fabrication plant is demolished
