The site’s oldest reactor, the Dounreay Materials Test Reactor, is leading the way in demolition waste recycling as internal dismantling continues
The fuel element storage block has now been demolished. This steel tank was 4.7m high and 2.8m in diameter, surrounded by an iron-shot concrete cylinder, and was capped off by a thick steel top plate. Historically it housed cooling irradiated fuel elements after their removal from the reactor.
During its dismantling, workers segregated recyclable and re-usable material from the waste products. An expected 9 tonnes of steel and 33 tonnes of lead will be recycled, and around 95 tonnes of concrete will be re-used off site.
Facility Manager Donald Buchanan said:
Cavendish Nuclear and sub-contractors KDC Demolition, JGC Engineering & Technical Services and Caithness Scaffolding are carrying out the work.