End of a chapter but not era for Dounreay
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THE changes taking place at Dounreay were described as "the end of a chapter and not the end of an era," by Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore.
He was speaking to the Caithness Courier on Monday just before the Babcock Dounreay Partnership officially took over the site from Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd.
Mr Moore said Dounreay was "a pioneering site in the 1950s" when it was built and believed it could be so again during its decommissioning phase.
He said it has the skills and the experience to lead the way in decommissioning.
Mr Moore pointed out the team carrying out the work has local, national and international experience and said the £1 billion saving would represent "the best value and the right outcome for the taxpayer and the local community".
"What is happening here is the end of a chapter and not the end of an era. Ten, 20 or 30 years down the road I’m sure Dounreay will still be seen as a success story," he stated.
Mr Moore said the revised decommissioning timescale would give the area at least 10 years to counter the loss of jobs at the site.
He described that as "critical" and stated efforts are being made to secure other local employment opportunities in parallel to the rundown.
Mr Moore is confident about the future prospects and described the potential of marine renewable energy in the Pentland Firth as "very exciting".
Richard Lochhead, the Scottish secretary for rural affairs and the environment, said the skills built up at Dounreay over the years could provide "a fantastic opportunity" for the local community and economy.
They could help lead the way in decommissioning and could also be transferred to other industries, including renewable energy.
Mr Lochhead said the BDP contract provides "a clear road map" for the decommissioning of the site and said the safety of staff and the environment is paramount.
He stressed the Scottish Government will be working closely with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and other bodies as the work is carried out.
John Deighan, who represents the Unite union at Dounreay, said it would be "business as usual" as far as his members are concerned.
He stated the union is "looking forward to the challenges ahead".
"We are here to work with the new owners," said Mr Deighan but he pointed out the union will do all it can to ensure any jobs to be lost in the coming years are not subject to compulsory redundancy.
Willie Swanson, of the GMB union at Dounreay, was heartened to hear the partnership intends "to carry on where the previous owners left off".
"Their words have to be put into practice now but I have no reason to doubt them," he stated.
BDP won the DSRL contract but it faced competition from another consortium called Caithness Solutions. It comprised of Cheshire-registered engineering firm AMEC and Salt Lake City-based nuclear services company EnergySolutions.
