Sheffield-based engineering specialist SCX Special Projects (www.scx.co.uk) has designed and installed a crane to play a key role in the decommissioning of the former Dounreay nuclear plant in northern Scotland.

The semi-automated overhead drum crane will be used to lift 500-litre stainless steel drums containing radioactive waste into a new £22 million waste storage facility at Dounreay.

The drums will be encased in cement, put into long-term storage and then monitored remotely.

Working with Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, SCX Special Projects is building (and testing) the crane at the Dounreay site.

Company director Andy Whitworth said: “In such a safety-critical industry you need to ensure that the equipment is reliable and safe — far beyond all limits of its operation.”

The latest estimated cost of the Dounreay site closure plan is £2.3 billion, and the work is scheduled to finish around 2030.