How much will extra decades of work at Dounreay cost?
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The cost of extending the decommissioning work at Dounreay is expected to be published in the summer, according to a spokeswoman at the site.
She was responding to questions from the John O' Groat Journal, following last week's announcement that the clean up-operation at the nuclear plant will continue until the 2070s – almost 40 years longer than the previous date of 2033. The cost of the programme was previously said to be about £2.9 billion.
Asked about the estimated cost of extending the decommissioning, the spokeswoman said: " The estimate for delivering the revised lifetime plan to take the Dounreay site to its interim end point, will form part of the Nuclear Provision, and be published in the NDA (Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) 2023/24 annual report in the summer. We are committed to delivering the Dounreay mission as effectively and efficiently as possible."
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On funding for the extended work and if it has been approved by the NDA and the UK Government, she said: "Lifetime plans for NDA sites are not funded plans.
They provide a long-term roadmap for work, based on latest expectations and assumptions, and any associated estimated costs help to inform the Nuclear Provision.
The Nuclear Provision is the best estimate of how much it will cost to clean up the UK’s nuclear sites over a programme lasting over 100 years. It is a single point estimate, within a range, for all potential future costs, based on latest plans.
"Actual funding for delivering near term work at Dounreay and at the NDA’s other sites is agreed periodically with Government through the spending review process. This is the process by which Government sets out detailed plans for public spending for all government departments."
On what the additional work and investment will mean for the Caithness economy in general terms, she said: "The revised lifetime plan has been developed to be a reliable and deliverable plan, according to the latest learning and best assumptions on areas like technology, resources and supply chain.
"Dounreay will continue to need high skilled workers to decommission the site safely and sustainably. Work is ongoing with partners, both locally in Focus North and across the rest of NRS (Nuclear Restoration Services) and the NDA group to identify what these will be."
As reported last week, Dounreay said the revised plan will be "delivered through a rolling ten-year strategy creating a stable platform upon which we will continue to reduce the hazards and continuously seek new and better ways to deliver value for the taxpayer. It will also maintain our focus on the safety, sustainability and security of the site... and enable priority investment in our current workforce and the site’s infrastructure."
The announcement about the extension of the decommissioning work at Dounreay was described as "fantastic news" for the workforce and the Caithness economy by local councillors and the business community.
