Radioactive waste in Scotland

Waste type 1 Volume (cubic metre)
Stocks at 1 April 2007 Estimated future arisings Lifetime total once all wastes are packaged
ILW

8,670

17,400

44,500

LLW

9,480

240,000

385,000

(1) No HLW is managed in Scotland.

Radioactive waste is managed on 7 sites in Scotland, that include:

  • Chapelcross, Dounreay and Hunterston A, where the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is undertaking decommissioning and site clean up activities;
  • At Hunterston B and Torness, British Energy operates Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) power stations;
  • The Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites at Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde, Rosyth and Vulcan support the UK’s naval nuclear propulsion programme.

 

Site Location Activities Responsible organisation 1
Chapelcross Dumfries & Galloway Decommissioning of Magnox reactor power station NDA
Clyde (HMNB Clyde) Dunbartonshire Maintenance and support services for the operational submarine squadrons MoD
Dounreay Caithness Decommissioning of shut down Fast Breeder reactors and fuel cycle support plants. Waste disposal facilities (to be remediated) NDA
Hunterston Ayrshire Hunterston A - Decommissioning of Magnox reactor power station NDA
Hunterston B - Operating AGR power station British Energy
Rosyth (HMNB Rosyth Royal Dockyard) Fife Decommissioning of submarine refit facilities MoD
Torness East Lothian Operating AGR power station British Energy
Vulcan (NTRE Vulcan) Caithness Testing of prototype submarine nuclear reactors MoD

(1) The organisation with strategic responsibility for radioactive wastes managed on the site.

Summary information on radioactive waste in

Northern Ireland has no major waste producers.

 2007 Inventory – Waste quantities by site

Hunterston A

Hunterston nuclear power station