Is Dounreay still active?

In 2007, Dounreay, which is now being decommissioned, pleaded guilty at Wick sheriff court to a “failure to prevent fragments of irradiated nuclear fuel being discharged into the environment”. Since 1983, over 480 particles have also been found on three local beaches and the Dounreay foreshore.

When did Dounreay close?

The cost of decommissioning NRTE facilities when they become redundant, including nuclear waste disposal, was estimated at £2.1 billion in 2005. Its final reactor shut down on 21 July 2015, with post operational work continuing to 2022.

Can you visit Dounreay?

Dounreay is closed to members of the public. Our office in Thurso has information about our current work programme. The site is closed to members of the public for safety and security reasons while it is decommissioned. There is a public viewing area nearby, with car parking and information panels.

Is Dounreay safe?

In 313 years’ time, 378 years after it first opened in 1955, and 339 years after it ceased operations in 1994, the 178-acre nuclear power facility site at Dounreay will be safe for other uses, a new report has stated.

Is Dounreay closed?

It expects the Dounreay Material Test Reactor to be levelled in 2022, the dome-shaped Dounreay Fast Reactor demolished in 2025 and the prototype fast reactor pulled down in 2027. …

What is Dounreay power station?

Dounreay was the UK site for the development of fast reactor research from 1955 to 1994. Its Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) was the first fast-breeder reactor in the world to produce electricity for public consumption in 1962.

Are there nuclear power plants in Scotland?

Scotland has two nuclear stations currently generating electricity, three civil nuclear sites at advanced stages of decommissioning, and three nuclear defence sites.

How many people are employed at Dounreay?

We employ over 1000 people at the site and offer secure and rewarding work across a range of technical and support functions. We offer an excellent benefits package, including competitive salary, bonus scheme, pension plan, generous leave allowance and subsidised bus travel.

Who runs Dounreay?

Cavendish, a division of Babcock, runs Dounreay in a joint venture with American engineering companies Aecom and Jacobs. The deal was signed in 2012 and runs until the 2030s.

Has the UK got a nuclear power plant?

The UK has 13 operational nuclear reactors at six locations (12 advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) and one pressurised water reactor (PWR)), as well as nuclear reprocessing plants at Sellafield and the Tails Management Facility (TMF) operated by Urenco in Capenhurst.

What work is done at Dounreay?

Dounreay is responsible for the safe and secure clean-up of the Dounreay nuclear site. Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) is the site licence company responsible for the clean-up and demolition of Britain’s former centre of fast reactor research and development.

What is the purpose of UK Atomic Energy Authority?

UKAEA researches fusion energy and related technologies, with the aim of positioning the UK as a leader in sustainable nuclear energy. UKAEA is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Is there a nuclear power plant at lower Dounreay?

There are two nuclear sites at Lower Dounreay built on and around the site of the former airfield. The Nuclear Power Development Establishment site is owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) but was previously owned and run by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

Who is responsible for the decommissioning of Dounreay?

A new company called Dounreay Site Restoration (DSRL) was formed as a subsidiary of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to handle the decommissioning process. By May 2008, decommissioning cost estimates had been revised.

What does UKAEA do for the UK?