APM Scotland Branch event: Programme delivery, partnering and embracing the community

In the year 2525, if man is still aliveless than two centuries will have passed since Dounreay reached its End State. 2333 is quite a date to comprehend but in a highly informative presentation Dyan Foss, Deputy Managing Director at Dounreay Site Restoration Limited, talked APM Scotland branch members through this complex and challenging project.

The work required to complete the site closure in 2023 includes the demolition and clean out of approximately 180 facilities on the site and the radioactive waste being made safe for long term storage or disposal. The "interim end state", the point when this is achieved, has been radically accelerated from 2063 to 2025 making this one of the fastest decommissioning projects in the UK.

Dyan was accompanied by Craig Brown, Senior Professional at Babcock International Group, one of the project partners. Craig won the admiration of the audience for his skill in being able to present this 150m per annum project, with over 6000 activities, on one single piece of paper. He also explained the eight different project tools that are employed, some developed specially for this unique contract.

Important aspects of this project include stewardship, not only of the site, but of the surrounding area and the local workforce, with a key responsibility being building trust and relationships over the fifteen year decommissioning period. Another vital element is the development and implementation of constructive solutions to mitigate the socio-economic impact on the local community caused by the closure of the site.

Dyan and Craig took many questions from the audience who were very interested in the tools and strategies employed in this unique project undertaken by DSRL on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.