Construction at defunct power station site will begin in 2011, with first phase completing in 2014

The defunct Dounreay power station site in Scotland has won planning approval for two radioactive waste facilities, worth £300m.

The scheme will have capacity for about 200,000m3 of low and intermediate-level waste from the site’s decommissioning programme.

Tony Trayner, head of construction Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) said: "The planning consents keep our clean-up programme on course for completion in 2025,

"An essential element of any decommissioning project is being able to deal with the radioactive waste that it generates and these new facilities will give us that capacity through to the end of our programme."

Construction of the facilities is expected to begin in 2011, with the first phase ready to receive waste in 2014.

The project adds more work to the UK’s burgeoning nuclear sector pipeline. Last week EDF said its first construction contracts in its new build programme would be let this year.

The French energy giant will hold a suppliers day in London on 30 June in a bid to engage with the industry and outline its work packages.

Speakers at the event, called New Nuclear Opportunities, will include energy minister Mike O’Brien and managing director of nuclear new build at EDF, Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson.

EDF has also started accepting expressions of interest from prospective buyers of one of its prospective nuclear sites at Dungeness and Heysham. Bidders are expect to include a consortium of GDF Suez, Iberdrola and Scottish and Southern Energy, which failed to secure any nuclear sites during the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s land auction last month.

Companies interested in attending EDF’s suppliers event can register their interest at www.edfenergy.com/newnuclearopportunities

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