Talks ongoing over plans for Vulcan base to move into hands of Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
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Discussions are continuing over putting the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) in charge of the clean-up of the Vulcan military base in Caithness.
Officials are working on smoothing the way for the NDA, which already runs the redundant civil fast reactor plant at Dounreay, to take over the next-door site from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The MoD had put the wheels in motion towards the end of 2021 to seek bids from private firms to carry out the clean-up of Vulcan, whose pressurised water reactor shut down eight years ago.
But the tender process was halted soon after, since when the focus has been on paving the way for the NDA to move in.
The MoD announced the start to the decontamination and dismantling of the Royal Navy's long-time nuclear submarine test base had been put back until early 2026.
In the meantime, the plant will continue to be run by the MoD's long-time contractor, Rolls-Royce.
Commander Ian Walker, who heads the small Royal Navy presence at Vulcan, said the NDA takeover is a credible option.
But he said putting Vulcan and Dounreay under the same operator is not straightforward, as the sites come under different licensing and regulatory regimes and government departments.
He said: "We're still looking at how the transfer to the NDA could be enacted and a decision is expected later this year."
The move has been supported by Struan Mackie, chair of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group.
He said: "We have long believed that the NDA is the most appropriate vehicle to decommission the Vulcan site.
"It seems to be the most logical option and I welcome that there's a recognition of the clear and obvious joint working and crossover between the sites over the years."
