Dounreay
Thurso, Caithness
Reactor Data
Reactor Units
Every power reactor at this site as listed in the IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS): reactor type and model, net electrical capacity, grid connection and commercial operation dates, and current status.
2 units: 2 permanent shutdown.
| Unit | Type | Model | Net MWe | Construction | Grid | Commercial Op | Shutdown | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dounreay DFR | FBR | DFR | 11 | 1955-03-01 | 1962-10-01 | 1962-10-02 | 1977-03-01 | Permanent Shutdown |
| Dounreay PFR | FBR | 234 | 1966-01-01 | 1975-01-10 | 1976-07-01 | 1994-03-31 | Permanent Shutdown |
Capacity, milestones and suppliers
| Unit | Design MWe | Gross MWe | Thermal MWt | First Criticality | Reactor Supplier | Turbine Supplier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dounreay DFR | 14 | 15 | 60 | 1959-11-14 | UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY | GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY (UK) | |
| Dounreay PFR | 234 | 250 | 600 | 1974-03-01 | THE NUCLEAR POWER GROUP, LTD. | GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY (UK) |
Lifetime performance, through 2025
| Unit | Electricity Supplied | Load Factor | Energy Availability | Operating Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dounreay DFR | 0.5 TWh | 32.0% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Dounreay PFR | 7.1 TWh | 26.9% | 40.7% | 38.2% |
Operator: UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY
Owner: UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY
Source: IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), as of 2026-11-02.
Research Reactors
Research and test reactors, critical assemblies and prototypes at this site, as listed in the IAEA Research Reactor Database: type, thermal power, first criticality, shutdown date, current status and what each is used for.
9 reactors: 8 decommissioned, 1 permanent shutdown.
| Reactor | Type | Thermal Power | First Criticality | Shutdown | Status | Used For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dounreay Zero Energy ZETR | Crit Assembly | 1957-08-13 | Decommissioned | nuclear data | ||
| Dounreay MTR | Heavy Water | 22.5 MWt | 1958-05-01 | 1969-05-01 | Decommissioned | |
| Tessie | Crit Assembly | 5 kWt | 1959-11-01 | Decommissioned | nuclear data | |
| Phoenix | Crit Assembly | 100 Wt | 1960-07-01 | Decommissioned | nuclear data | |
| Toad | Crit Assembly | 10 Wt | 1960-07-01 | Decommissioned | nuclear data | |
| Puma | Crit Assembly | 1960-11-01 | Decommissioned | nuclear data | ||
| Panther | Crit Assembly | 10 Wt | 1961-01-01 | Decommissioned | nuclear data | |
| VULCAN | Pwr | 1961-01-01 | 1997-12-01 | Permanent shutdown | ||
| Sirius | Crit Assembly | 100 Wt | 1961-05-01 | Decommissioned |
Source: IAEA Research Reactor Database (RRDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Fuel Cycle Facilities
Fuel cycle plants at this site, as listed in the IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database: what each plant does, its scale and design capacity, the years it operated, its current status and who operates it.
5 facilities: 1 in operation, 3 decommissioning, 1 decommissioned.
| Facility | Type | Scale | Design Capacity | Operated | Status | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOUNREAY Fuel Storage Facility | AFR Wet Spent Fuel Storage (Pool) | Commercial | 20 t HM | 1982– | In Operation | Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd |
| NDA Conversion Plant | Conversion to U Metal | Commercial | 4 t HM/year | 1957– | Decommissioning | Sellafield Ltd |
| NDA Fuel Fabrication Plant | Fuel Fabrication (Research Reactors) | Commercial | 500 Elements/year | 1957–2004 | Decommissioned | Sellafield Ltd |
| NDA Reprocessing Plant, MTR | Spent Fuel Reprocessing - aqueous route | Commercial | 0.2 t HM/year | 1958–1998 | Decommissioning | Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd |
| NDA Reprocessing Plant, MOX | Spent Fuel Reprocessing - aqueous route | Commercial | 4 t HM/year | 1980–1998 | Decommissioning | Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd |
Source: IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database (NFCFDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Working Here
Per Diem Rates FY 2026
Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from the U.S. State Department foreign per diem tables for FY 2026.
$252
Lodging/Night
$108
M&IE/Day
$360
Total/Day
United Kingdom: rate for locations the State Department does not list separately
U.S. Department of State foreign per diem, for U.S. government and contractor travel.
Photos
Photos of this facility from the NukeWorker photo gallery. Click the header or any photo to browse the full album.
Facility Map
Interactive satellite map showing the facility's geographic location. Marker color indicates current status: green for online, red for offline, orange for reduced power. Click the header to open in Google Maps satellite view.
58.5797, -3.74559
Location & Contact
Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Plant Facts
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Dounreay.
Dounreay is a nuclear research site on the north coast of Caithness in Scotland, about 14 km west of Thurso. The Nuclear Power Development Establishment was set up there in 1955 by the UK Atomic Energy Authority to develop civil fast breeder reactors.
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The Dounreay Materials Test Reactor reached criticality in May 1958 and closed in 1969. The Dounreay Fast Reactor reached criticality on 14 November 1959, began supplying the grid in October 1962, and went offline in March 1977. The Prototype Fast Reactor reached criticality in 1974, began supplying the grid in January 1975, and was taken offline in 1994. On 10 May 1977, seawater entering a waste shaft containing sodium and potassium caused an explosion.