Submarine Reactor Testsite Decommissioning
Posted: 14th July 2025
The responsibility for decommissioning a nuclear submarine reactor test site in the Highlands is being transferred from the military to a civilian company. The Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) at Dounreay nuclear power complex, near Thurso, was built in the 1950s and supports about 280 jobs. It was used for prototype testing of nuclear propulsion plants for more than 50 years, before the last reactor was shut down in 2015. The transfer of Vulcan to Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) would allow the MoD to focus its resources on national defence, according to a new report (the NDA’s Draft Strategy). NRS is in the process of taking over the Ministry of Defence (MoD) site as part of its work decommissioning and demolishing Dounreay.