People, plants and projects: the challenges at Dounreay

Dounreay, on the north coast of Scotland, is UKAEA's largest and most complex site with three former nuclear reactors and a range of fuel cycle facilities and research laboratories. This year UKAEA launched the Dounreay site restoration plan (DSRP) which presents proposals for the completion of the complex and the challenging task of restoring the Dounreay site within 60 years, including the removal of all significant radioactive hazards within 25 years. The plan was formally presented to the regulators in September 2000. This paper discusses the DSRP in some detail and emphasises that to achieve its objectives the company must ensure that: the right people are obtained, trained and deployed; appropriate plant is built; and a strong project management culture is developed and allied with good business processes. (author)