Dounreay was the UK's fast-reactor research centre from 1955 to 1994, including the Dounreay Fast Reactor and the 250 MWe Prototype Fast Reactor, and is now Scotland's largest nuclear clean-up. All reactor fuel has been removed, but residual sodium coolant and a large fuel cycle area remain; the interim end-state date has slipped into the 2070s.
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Current state
| Status | Active dismantling |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Location | Thurso, Caithness, Scotland |
| Site | Dounreay |
| Units | Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR), Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) |
| Unit count | 2 |
| Reactor types | FBR (sodium/NaK-cooled) |
| Owner / licensee | Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (site licensee: Nuclear Restoration Services – Dounreay) |
| Decommissioning contractor | Nuclear Restoration Services |
| Strategy | Immediate dismantling |
| Final shutdown | 1994 |
| Cost estimate | GBP 7.9bn (as of 2024-04) |
| Spent fuel | All fuel and breeder material removed from PFR; last DFR breeder material being moved to Sellafield. |
| Notable issue | Interim end state slipped from a 2023 target to around 2078, with total spend rising to almost £8bn. |
Notes
Research/prototype site rather than a commercial plant; included for search demand. Cost figure is press-reported (worker briefing), not an official NDA publication; target year ~2078 not confirmed by NDA so target completion not recorded. PFR 250 MWe is commonly cited but not in the sources reviewed.
Timeline
- 1955 — Dounreay became the UK's centre of fast reactor research and development. (source)
- 1994 — Fast reactor research ended at Dounreay with PFR's shutdown. (source)
- 2012-05 — A specific interim end-state date of 14 September 2023 was proposed. (source)
- 2024-04 — Reports said spending would run to around 2078 at a total cost of about £7.9bn. (source)
- 2025-03-29 — Dounreay employed about 1,400 people with annual spend of about £225m as clean-up continued. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
Related sites
- Berkeley (Magnox) SAFSTOR · United Kingdom
- Biblis Nuclear Power Plant (Units A and B) Active dismantling · Germany
- Bradwell (Magnox) SAFSTOR · United Kingdom
- Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant (KBR) Active dismantling · Germany
- Brunsbüttel Nuclear Power Plant (KKB) Active dismantling · Germany
- Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant Fuel removal · Taiwan
- Chooz A Active dismantling · France
- Crystal River Unit 3 Site restoration · United States
See all 72 sites in the Nuclear Decommissioning Tracker →
Sources
- Dounreay — Office for Nuclear Regulation (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Dounreay at forefront of nuclear decommissioning 70 years — Northern Times, checked 2026-10-11
- New end date at Dounreay will mean a spend of £7.9bn — Northern Times, checked 2026-10-11
- About NRS — NRS Site Stakeholder Groups (primary), checked 2026-10-11