This means that all significant UK stocks of this material are now held at Sellafield – the centre of excellence for plutonium management.

NDA Chief Executive, David Peattie, said:

The successful conclusion of the work is another clear demonstration of the NDA delivering its mission - to clean up the UK’s nuclear sites safely, securely and cost-effectively with care for people and the environment.

The safe and secure management of civil separated plutonium is a priority for the UK government and an important part of the NDA’s strategy. This is a major step forward in decommissioning and cleaning-up the Dounreay site in Caithness, the UK’s former centre of fast reactor research and development.

The NDA’s Programme Manager, Phil Edge, added:

Successfully achieving this milestone has only been possible because of the co-ordinated efforts of a committed team of extremely skilled people, working across several organisations. This includes the UK Government, our regulators, the police services in both Scotland and England, Dounreay, Sellafield and our specialist transport companies - Direct Rail Services and International Nuclear Services.