Intermediate Level Waste
Intermediate level waste (ILW) is the most hazardous type of waste at Dounreay. This waste requires special shielding to protect people and the environment from harmful radiation and may need to be handled remotely.
These wastes, which can take thousands of years for the radioactivity levels to decay, are stored securely in drum stores. Dounreay’s strategy for dealing with this waste is to retrieve, treat and immobilise in drums or boxes to make it safe for long-term storage or disposal.
Scottish Government has stated that intermediate level waste should remain stored on site. The impact of this on Dounreay’s strategy will be determined following ongoing discussions between the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Scottish Government.
A standard 500-litre drum used to store intermediate-level waste mixed with cement
A new handling facility for intermediate-level waste being built
