One of the most significant hazards at Dounreay has been removed in a 40 hour operation, using cutting edge tools designed and made in Caithness.
Around 1810 litres of radioactive sodium coolant (approximately 1.7 tonnes) remaining in a ‘heel’ pool at the base of the reactor vessel in the Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) has been pumped out. It paves the way for the next step in the decommissioning of PFR to take place.
The project showcases the high quality design and engineering skills available in local companies based in Caithness.
The DSRL project team worked closely with the supply chain to develop an innovative technical solution to the removal of the sodium; since the heel was difficult to access a flexible 65m long pumping and camera system that could operate in temperatures of several hundred degrees had to be designed, manufactured and tested. The pump was designed in-house, and fabricated locally by Gows Lybster Ltd, who also manufactured the shielded sodium receipt vessel with Forsyths and Arch Henderson.
The sodium, which had solidified at the bottom of the reactor, first had to be melted. Bespoke heaters similar in shape to the petals of a flower were designed by the project team, fabricated locally by JGC Technical Services Ltd, and deployed through holes drilled through the base of the reactor leak jacket and attached to the underside of the reactor vessel to melt the sodium from the outside.
The heel pool project team has been working for the last 4 years from the initial design to get the project to this stage. They spent months rehearsing the moves and skills required to position the pump in the heel pool, using a mocked up version of the reactor internals and making changes to the equipment where necessary. The team believes the process is a world first for the site, and the innovation and learning can be applied to other decommissioning projects UK-wide, where hazards are difficult to access.
Project Manager James Robertson said: “This has been a significant challenge. The team has delivered a project that is really at the cutting edge of decommissioning, something that’s truly world class. This was Dounreay at its best delivering a highly complex decommissioning task in a way that demonstrated a really innovative and collaborative working approach.”
Senior Project Manager Graeme Dunnett added: The removal of the sodium heel from the reactor vessel is a significant achievement and important step forward in the decommissioning programme of the PFR complex by a project team made up of local contractors and DSRL workers. The motto from PFR’s operational days was “Out of Caithness to the world” and as this project is world leading, it very much captures the ethos of this sentiment.”
DSRL Managing Director Mark Rouse said: “ This was not an easy task; it was technically and practically difficult and required a lot of resilience in the face of disappointments and setbacks as the team explored the limits of what was known and what has been done before.”
Dounreay Stakeholder Group Chair Struan Mackie added: “The removal of liquid sodium from the heel pool of the Prototype Fast Reactor represents a significant milestone in removing legacy hazards from the Dounreay site. Throughout the project the Dounreay Stakeholder Group (DSG) were kept informed of progress and the innovative methods being deployed to complete this complex piece of decommissioning work.
“We believe it to be a world’s first: made made possible due to combination of expert design, fabrication and execution of the Dounreay workforce and supply chain partners from across Caithness and North Sutherland.”
The next phase will be to decommission and remove the pump from the reactor and install the water vapour nitrogen (WVN) system which will be used to treat the sodium residues from the reactor vessel and pipework. The project is on course to complete the clean out work by the end of 2023.
This month, we welcomed Caithness Rugby Football Club to our Chamber membership group.
CRFC are a local rugby club established in 1962. The club is registered as a charity and contributes in many ways to the local community. Their focus is of course on Rugby development but they also offer considerable experience in personal development and social skills. The club welcomes all age groups from micros to adults both male and female with representation in our national teams. The club has a large voluntary coaching team covering both sides of the county along with various other contributors from all disciplines.
Read more about the club here.
To discuss membership, please reach out to our Business Development manager, Fiona Levack. You can contact Fiona by email: fiona@caithnesschamber.com. You can read about membership on the website using this link.
If you’re already a member but would like a reminder of how to get the most from your membership, Fiona will gladly go over that with you too.
Budding Engineers CIC are a small community interest company based in Thurso who are trying to help put an end to digital device exclusion and laptop poverty but we are also looking for help from businesses to make this happen. Our main focus is to inspire STEAM in education through 3D Design/Computer Aided Design and Digital Technology.
We are contacting different businesses across the north to see if they or their families have any laptops/ipads/tablets that they wish to donate to our project.
Recently we have just received funding to allow us to hopefully distribute approximately 870 devices across the North of Scotland. However, we are going to need plenty of donations.
From 1st July we have a big project which is all about donating Tech4Tots & Teens. More about this project and the criteria can be found on our Facebook page. We thoroughly clean these devices and we sanitise the hard drive using a DOD approved application prior to refurbishing the device. This also ensures that any donated unit has a blank hard drive satisfying any Data Protection regulations.
The laptops that we refurbish are donated with a version of the Linux operating system, we also install several additional educational applications. This is a fun way to learn, as these are in a game format. Maths and typing are just a couple which will help with their numeracy and literacy skills. All our devices will be PAT tested prior to being sent out to the families.
Some of these applications we install are known to help those children with additional needs and some of the feedback from parents has been amazing.
Budding Engineers CIC are also actively combating global and national inequalities by inspiring young girls to pursue skills development in digital design, as well as offering an inclusive programme designed to unlock the technical potential of children/young adults with dyslexia or autism.
To contact the team to find out more or to make a donation, you’ll find them in the members directory.
North Lands Creative have been devising a host of imaginative ways to help to reduce social isolation and improve the mental health and wellbeing of Caithness residents going forward. To support this, North Lands Creative is excited to announce that building work has now
commenced across our campus to create our new Creative Community Hub. The programme of works will lead to a much improved modern facility for the benefit of the local community with welcoming spaces to enjoy creative arts and includes a community café, dedicated disabled toilet with baby change facilities and a gallery and makerspace.
Director, Karen Phillips commented:
“Even if we don’t consider ourselves to be particularly artistic, most of us like to create in one way or another, whether this means drawing, gardening, or cooking food that brings us comfort. Because using the arts for self-expression can be incredibly empowering and can promote healing we are delighted to be working with so many partners and artists to improve our facilities. The refurbishments will create a Creative Community Hub is great news and we look forward to sharing our ideas with the community over the next few months as part of celebrating 25 years in the village of Lybster.”
Our plan is to encourage the local community to use the buildings to meet socially, make friends and not feel isolated. The new spaces give
the community access to more creative spaces and activities on their doorstep. The upgrading of the Alastair Pilkington Studio and Quatre Bras sites along with a new community café and makerspace is welcomed.
We are inviting the community to a series of online open evenings this summer to discuss our ideas where the North Lands team can show
how the new layout will bring improved access and much needed additional resources. It is anticipated that all of the works will be
completed by the end of the year.
If you would like to be involved in the new creative community hub, please let us know by emailing community@northlandscreative.co.uk and join us for our virtual open evenings. These online events will give you the opportunity to meet and hear from staff and ask questions and find out more about our exciting future programming that could involve you!
Since opening in 1995, North Lands Creative has been a distinctive and special place, and an important resource as a Centre of Excellence for
Glass, the arts and for audiences in the region – as well as being a significant force in the national and international glass world.
Director, Karen Phillips added:
“As we look forward to our 25th Anniversary, I’m delighted to welcome the support of government, community and third sector funding. Their generous support will enable us to complete the redevelopment and renovation of our facilities by improving our digital capabilities as well as the development of our physical spaces, which will create new opportunities for our region and create a vibrant meeting place for all.
The support we have received from our funders demonstrates their commitment to North Lands Creative and our place in the cultural life of Caithness and nationally. I wish to thank them, and Creative Scotland, for all they have done to ensure we have so much to look forward to in the years ahead and I cannot wait to welcome back our artists, audiences and visitors to enjoy and experience all that we have to offer.”
Leading independent accountancy and business advisory firm, Johnston Carmichael, is joining famous faces such as Dame Judi Dench, Sir David Attenborough and Sir Ranulph Fiennes in helping drive the UK’s green revolution as sponsors of the Conservation Without Borders ‘Round Britain Climate Challenge’.
Launching on Friday 18 June at Glasgow Science Centre, the Round Britain Climate Challenge is a world-first expedition being undertaken by ‘the human swan’ Sacha Dench, an Australian biologist, conservationist and adventurer.
Weather permitting, the challenge will see Sacha ‘take off’ in Glasgow during the week of 21 June and fly over 3000 miles around mainland Britain in a specially adapted, green electricity powered paramotor. Over the course of her journey, Sacha and her team will touch down at various landing points around the country to meet with and share stories of communities, businesses and individuals who are championing carbon reduction efforts in their local areas and working to promote sustainability.
With the topic of climate change coming increasingly to the forefront, the expedition aims to inspire people to take action to reduce carbon pollution in the run up to COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow later this year.
As advisers to businesses in a wide range of sectors which will be significantly impacted by climate change, Johnston Carmichael is passionate about working with its clients to achieve net zero and deliver on the wider decarbonisation agenda. Among the other sponsors of the Round Britain Climate Challenge is Celtic Renewables, a client of Johnston Carmichael’s focused on converting unwanted and low-value biological material into high-value renewable chemicals, sustainable biofuel, and other commercially and environmentally valuable commodities.
Johnston Carmichael’s Client Relationship Partner for Celtic Renewables and Head of Energy, Infrastructure and Sustainability, Mark Stewart, said: “As trusted advisers to over 16,000 clients across Scotland and beyond, we are committed to helping position Scotland as a global hub for sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy investment. This challenge raises awareness of a cause very important to our own mission as a business and as an employer, and we’re very proud to be involved.”
In the community and natural capital market, the firm’s specialist Energy, Infrastructure and Sustainability team works closely with experts in its other industry specialist groups such as Technology and Agriculture and Landed Estates in order to deliver a renewable energy solution to a diverse range of clients across the country. Mark added, “The mobilisation of finance is fundamental to reaching global net zero, and raising awareness of the benefits of investment in renewables is critical.”
Sacha Dench said: “I am very thankful to Johnston Carmichael and all the sponsors and supporters who have stepped up to make this happen. From those that invested to those sharing their stories, this has been a mass effort. Along with testing the capability of electric flight, and challenging what we think is possible, together we want to capture the imaginations of the young and old, rural and urban, and focus on answers to the climate crisis – not problems – and encourage everyone, to get involved. Climate change has to be seen as a mountain we can climb, not a dark cloud on the horizon too big to think about.”
In addition to supporting Sacha with the Round Britain Climate Challenge, which aims to set the set the Guinness World Record for the fastest – and first – flight around Britain in a paramotor, Johnston Carmichael is also participating in another record-breaking endeavour. Conservation Without Borders has partnered with Count Us In to launch the largest global effort to set the Guinness World Record for the most people pledging climate action in one month, and staff from all over Johnston Carmichael will be pledging to take at least one of sixteen simple steps to reduce their carbon footprint between 18 June and 17 July. With roots in local communities across 13 UK locations, the firm is also encouraging its wider networks to get involved with the challenge and reach the 140,001 pledges required to achieve the record.
The progress of Sacha’s journey can be followed on the Conservation Without Borders website, and Johnston Carmichael will also be sharing regular updates on its LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
A Highland social enterprise has launched a new service to provide affordable spare parts and repairs for domestic appliances in an effort to reduce waste.
ILM Highland, based in Alness, has launched the Spares & Repairs service to provide new and refurbished spare parts for fridges, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers and Dyson vacuum cleaners. As well as parts, the team is also able to provide assistance to fix appliances both in customers’ homes and in its specialist workshop.
It is hoped that the new scheme will help to reduce the number of large household appliances being discarded when straightforward repairs and replaced parts can significantly prolong their lifespan.
Operations Manager Kenny Horsfield, who heads up ILM Highland’s Spares & Repairs team, said: “When a large appliance like a fridge or washing machine breaks down, it’s easy to discard it in favour of a new one. However, often a simple fix can have it up and running again in no time.
“Fixing a broken appliance not only saves a lot of money, but it also protects our environment by preventing any improperly disposed of machinery ending up in landfill. That’s exactly what we’re setting out to achieve with our new Spares & Repairs service – providing affordable and accessible parts and mechanical assistance to our community.
“In the rare occasions where we are unable to source a part or an item cannot be fixed, we are able to safely dispose of the broken appliance through our waste electrical recycling service.”
ILM Highland’s Spares & Repairs team can source all manner of new and refurbished parts for domestic appliances, including cables, hoses, connectors, seals, cooker elements, oven doors, washing machine motors, replacement shelves and drawers, and Dyson vacuum cleaner parts. Whatever the issue, the team is dedicated to finding the parts required which are offered at trade prices.
Spare parts can be collected from ILM Highland’s premises in Alness or can be posted across the country, while household repairs are offered to those living within 50 miles of the organisation’s headquarters.
The Spares & Repairs service complements ILM Highland’s existing waste electrical recycling scheme, which sees the reuse, refurbishment and recycling of large and small appliances from households and businesses across the Highlands.
ILM Highland is a social enterprise, supporting vulnerable people in the Scottish Highlands to live at home – giving them greater independence and freedom. It achieves this through its Handyperson and Care & Repair services, providing assistance with small and large home repairs and improvements. ILM Highland’s charitable services are supported by income generated from its professional and fully certified service for businesses to dispose of their waste electronic and electrical equipment; a domestic small and large electrical recycling service; and its shop in Alness and online, which sells a wide selection of new and refurbished electrical appliances.
To find out more about ILM Highland, and its new Spares & Repairs service, please visit www.ilmhighland.co.uk or follow ILM Highland on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
The (work)force is strong at ILM Highland this May the 4th, as they welcome three new team members to support their growing service provision.
The new recruits will join ILM Highland as part of the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme, which provides funding and support to create new job opportunities for 16- to 24-year-olds.
Connor Brown, Martin Muir and Luke Kennedy will gain access to training and support to help them further their careers, as well as gaining experience in electrical recycling, repairs and sales teams. These operations support charitable services, providing support to the elderly and those living with a disability in the Highlands.
Martin Macleod, CEO of ILM Highland, said: “We’re excited to welcome Connor, Martin and Luke to the ILM Highland family, and look forward to working with them over the coming months. The job market over the last year has been particularly competitive, so to be in the position to be able to create new jobs to help young people get their feet on the career ladder after such uncertainty is fantastic.”
Connor’s role as a domestic engineer assistant will see him join the ILM Highland electrical repair team – working on refurbished appliances that will be sold in their shop in Alness and online.
Martin will take on the title of recycling operative assistant, working on extensive electrical recycling operations – which includes the collection of small and large electricals across the Highlands, as well as providing WEEE disposal services to businesses in the region.
And Luke’s new position as shop sales and admin assistant will allow him the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of running a successful social enterprise and support the organisation’s fundraising efforts in its Alness retail shop.
Martin Macleod added: “Throughout the pandemic, we are proud to have continued to be able to offer our Handyperson and Care & Repair services to support vulnerable people to live at home across the Highlands. These are funded by the hard work of the teams that Connor, Martin and Luke will be working in. We’re delighted to have them on board to help us continue to provide these lifeline services to those that need them the most in our community.”
Staycations don’t mean compromising.
Head to Scotland this Summer or early Autumn where Dunnet Bay Distillers is opening its doors for a gin and vodka tasting experience in its newly refurbished, coastal-themed Tasting Room.
The coastal themed venue features Boat Shed booths, each of which seats 2 people, enabling guests to maintain a safe distance from the other booths whilst sipping delectable, award-winning spirits and hearing stories to celebrate Scotland’s coastlines and waters.
You will taste three fine spirits. Each session costs £20 per booth. There are only 10 Boat Shed booths within the Tasting Room and Summer is predicted to be particularly busy, so booking is essential. For more details about the tastings and to book visit: https://www.dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk/shop/visitor-experience/
The venue is part of the Distillery where Rock Rose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka are produced. The spirits, which are the brainchild of husband-and-wife team, Claire and Martin Murray, use locally foraged botanicals including Rhodiola Rosea (rose of the rock) and plants grown in the Distillery’s own garden. The site is on the most northly tip of mainland Scotland and is part of the renowned North Coast 500 route – a route of exceptional scenic beauty.
Co-founder and director of Dunnet Bay Distillers, Claire Murray, says: “We want visitors to see Caithness at its very best and to experience it as we do – its wide-open spaces, vastness and glorious tranquillity. We will be running our North Coast Stories with Tasting experience all year so free to book a place later in the year when it is less congested. Be assured that no matter when you visit you will always receive a warm welcome from us here at Dunnet Bay Distillery!”
Recently, the Distillery launched an exceptional new expression of its gin: Rock Rose Gin Citrus Coastal Edition. The citrus comes, not from imported lemons, but from home-grown lemon verbena. If you want to take home a memory of this pristine Scottish coastline, this should definitely be on the list when you visit the VIP shop which has been launched for those taking part in tastings.
If you want to continue to explore Rock Rose Gins and Holy Grass Vodka, you can join the Refill Rewards Club, a sustainable subscription box delivering these gins in sustainable, recyclable pouches.
You can buy these products and more at the online shop:
Strathnaver Museum has received additional funding to help the organisation realise its vision to create a world class visitor attraction on the north Sutherland coast after securing £41,178 from Museum Galleries Scotland’s Recovery and Resilience Fund.
As well as supporting the future aspirations and recovery of the popular visitor attraction the funding will help cover operational costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. This award follows a grant of £113,157 in January from the first round of the Fund.
The funding already granted enabled Strathnaver Museum to undertake crucial survey work to progress plans for the refurbishment and repair of Strathnaver Museum. The development project will make much needed repairs, improve access to the site and its collection, create additional spaces for community projects and help the Trust to improve its sustainability.
Project Manager, Fiona Mackenzie said “The award from MGS enabled us to take a significant leap forward in our refurbishment project. The funding allowed us to undertake key surveys on our historic building and site, submit our Building Warrant application and firm up costs.
Since January a lot of activity has been going on behind the scenes as we carefully recorded and packed away the collection ready for physical work to begin on site. All being well with securing the remaining funding we aim to be in a position to begin work in late summer”.
During the archaeological survey work the team found some evidence of Iron Age activity which has warranted further investigation. The second round of MGS funding will help towards the costs of a more detailed archaeological survey due to begin in June.
Strathnaver Museum Chair, Tommy Mackay said “It’s believed the site has been an ecclesiastical centre for over a thousand years and we are looking forward to seeing what the archaeological dig might uncover. It is hoped it will further our knowledge and understanding of the site and perhaps we might even uncover some new objects to add to the collection”.
Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said:
“We are pleased to further support Strathnaver Museum in their refurbishment project. It is fantastic to see this ambitious project already well underway and the evidence of Iron Age activity in the recent archaeological survey highlights the importance of developing access to this historic site for the local area and visitors. We are delighted to be part of the museum’s journey to become a hub for regional heritage and look forward to the project developments over the next few years.”
Strathnaver Museum will be closed while the works are ongoing and the group plan to reopen the existing building and new annex in early 2023. During the closure the group will have a temporary office and exhibition space in Naver Telecentre, Bettyhill as well as pop up exhibitions and events at venues across north west Sutherland. An information service and gift shop will be operational from the end of May at the Bettyhill Tourist Information Centre beside Clachan Café.
Strathnaver Museum have secured £1.66 million of the £2.08 million capital funding costs which will secure the building, create a new agricultural annex and see new interpretation installed across the site. If you would like to contribute to Strathnaver Museum’s refurbishment appeal you can do so at https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/StrathnaverMuseumRefurbishment