The nuclear industry marked three significant anniversaries this week as His Majesty The King met with members of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group in Caithness Scotland, during his annual visit to the region.
The visit recognised the NDA group’s progress in its national mission to safely decommission the UK’s earliest nuclear sites, and its long-standing contribution to sustainability and economic development in the region and across the UK.
It coincided with the NDA group marking several significant milestones including the 20th anniversary of the NDA and 70 years for NRS Dounreay, which has been an enduring presence at the heart of the Caithness community.
The site began its life as the UK’s centre of pioneering fast reactor research and is now once again, at the forefront of science and engineering – developing first of a kind solutions for complex nuclear decommissioning challenges.
This year also marks 50 years for Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd (PNTL). Founded in 1975, PNTL is the world’s leading maritime nuclear transporter and part of NDA subsidiary, Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS). The King also viewed the Pacific Heron, part of the PNTL fleet of ships designed to safely transport nuclear materials around the globe.
His Majesty met members of the crew, the most experienced in the world boasting a flawless safety record, currently in Caithness while undertaking required sea-hours. The King was also introduced to other employees from the NDA group, representatives from UK and Scottish Government, and members of the local Caithness community.
King Charles meets Caithness community members
NDA group CEO David Peattie said:
I was delighted to welcome His Majesty The King and introduce him to valued staff members and stakeholders. It’s a powerful reminder of the national importance of the mission we’re delivering on behalf on the UK.
Together with King Charles we share a passion for sustainability and protecting the planet. The NDA group is responsible for one of the biggest environmental remediation programmes in the world, and we are committed to leaving a positive legacy for future generations.
From decommissioning legacy facilities and driving towards carbon net zero to investing in projects in the local community which help diversify the economy and grow skills, we’re proud to be a responsible neighbour and make a positive difference in our site communities.
King Charles and NDA Group CEO David Peattie
The NDA group is one of the largest employers in the region, supporting over 1,500 jobs on site and in the supply chain, and over 50% of Dounreay’s supply chain spend is with Caithness owned or resourced companies.
It also partners with the community to invest around £1million of socio-economic funding each year in programmes across Caithness and North Sutherland as part of its commitment to supporting prosperous communities arounds its sites.
Since 2019 it’s invested £5 million in developing Scrabster Harbour to enhance its capacity to accommodate cruise ships and help diversify the economy. Since cruising restarted in 2023, 40 ships have brought business to the local community.
Last week the NDA group also confirmed a further investment of £1million into the Caithness & North Sutherland Fund for the next three years, taking the total investment to £5million.
So far, the fund has supported more than 251 projects aimed at attracting more people to live, work and invest in the area.
