Transferring plutonium from Dounreay
In 2019 we used our rail, shipping and technical capabilities to complete a programme of complex, high-security transport operations to transfer civil separated plutonium held at Dounreay, to Sellafield.
The safe and secure management of civil separated plutonium is a priority for the UK government and an important part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s mission – to clean up the UK’s nuclear sites safely, securely and cost-effectively with care for people and the environment.
These transport operations mean that all significant stocks of this material are now held in storage at Sellafield – the UK’s centre of excellence for plutonium management.
The successful completion of this important programme involved our transport companies working alongside a committed team of extremely skilled people from several organisations including the UK Government, regulators, Dounreay, Sellafield and the police services in both Scotland and England.