The facility is being built for Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL), the company responsible for decommissioning the nuclear site in Caithness.

Features of the project includes concept and detailed design, production of the safety case and supporting environmental documentation, manufacture of the modular process plant, offsite testing, delivery to the site and onsite installation/commissioning.

The facility will form a key part of DSRL’s programme to retrieve, process and package waste from the Dounreay Shaft and Wet Silo.

Amec Foster Wheeler will be supported by Black & Veatch on core process design of the system, and by Gows Engineering on manufacture, installation and commissioning support.

Andy White, vice president for decommissioning at Amec Foster Wheeler, said: “This is an important project and adds to the work we are already engaged in with DSRL at Dounreay.

“The combination of our nuclear expertise and our experience as a contractor is instrumental in this work to support the clean-up of the site for future generations.”

Stephen Adamson, Dounreay head of commercial, added: “As a major employer in Caithness, we take our responsibility to support the future of our community seriously. We are particularly pleased to announce this partnership as it is the first contract to be awarded since Dounreay introduced a policy requiring our biggest suppliers to think about how they can help us deliver our socio-economic commitments.”

The work is expected to begin as early as next year.