Chemical incident sparks investigation at Dounreay
No-one was injured during the incident.
Last updated 21st Apr 2022
An investigation is underway after a chemical release at a far north power plant.
Emergency crews were called out to the Dounreay Nuclear Power Plant, near Thurso, last night and a tank was kept under observation.
Dounreay say the release occurred during "a planned reaction" inside one of their tanks.
A small amount of Tritium was released.
It is historically used in a variety of industrial processes which presents a low radiological hazard.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) have confirmed they were made aware of the incident and have launched their own formal investigation.
No-one was injured during the incident.
"Environmental impact is low"
A statement on the Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) website said: "A planned reaction of material inside a tank resulted in an excursion, causing the release of a small amount of caustic liquor.
"No-one was injured and damage was confined to components in the tank. We believe the environmental impact is low.
"Emergency personnel kept the tank under observation as a precaution.
"SEPA and ONR have been informed of the occurrence, and DSRL today is commencing its own investigation of the circumstances."
SEPA confirmed they were made aware of the incident at midnight on Thursday.
SEPA officers working with Dounreay staff
Dr Paul Dale, Radioactive Substances Manager at SEPA, said: "Shortly after midnight Thursday 21st April 2022 SEPA was notified of an incident at the decommissioning Dounreay nuclear site at Thurso in the Scottish Highlands.
"Specialist SEPA officers were in liaison with the site operators overnight and understand that the incident occurred at a sodium storage facility associated with the Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) building, currently being decommissioned.
"Further updates have been received today and we understand that there was a small release of process chemicals from the system and a release of tritium, which presents a low radiological hazard, may have occurred.
"DSRL continue to investigate and SEPA will be updated as further information becomes available.
“Whilst from initial information we consider the risk to the public or the environment to be extremely low, SEPA has launched a formal investigation and will provide further updates as appropriate "
A spokesperson for The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said: "We have been made aware of an incident at the Dounreay site yesterday evening (20.4.22) that resulted in site emergency personnel attending to a call at the sodium storage tanks at the Prototype Fast Reactor complex.
"We understand that a planned reaction of material inside a tank resulted in an excursion, causing the release of a small amount of caustic liquor.
"From the information provided by Dounreay, we can confirm there were no injuries as a result of the incident.
"ONR is content that Dounreay responded appropriately and in accordance with their established arrangements, and that the system is now stable.
"Our inspectors are in close contact with Dounreay and will continue to monitor the situation, including Dounreay’s investigation into the incident."