Dounreay

Background

Dounreay was the UK's centre of fast reactor research and development from 1955 until 1994 and is now Scotland's largest nuclear clean-up and demolition project. Dounreay was where some of the nation’s leading scientists and engineers experimented with plutonium, uranium and other metals to give Britain the knowledge to generate electricity using a more advanced type of nuclear reactor.

After four decades of research, stretching back to the earliest days in the industry, taking apart their legacy is a major undertaking. Today, Dounreay is a site of construction, demolition and waste management, all of it designed to leave the site in a safe condition for future generations. The experimental nature of many of its redundant facilities means the clean-up and demolition requires innovative approaches as well as great care.