Campaigners urge Dounreay closure 

The plant has major contracts lined up. Anti-nuclear campaigners say the area of the Dounreay plant which was hit by a power cut must never be allowed to reopen. Parts of the fuel cycle site lost electricity for 90 minutes on Sunday - the second time there had been a power cut there in as many years.

Lorraine Mann of Scotland Against Nuclear Dumping has called on Environment Minister Sam Galbraith and Trade Minister Helen Liddell to rule out any further active work in the area. 

[I] Hundreds of people work at the plant The UK Atomic Energy Authority launched an investigation, but said the problem occurred to "non-essential" systems. The previous break in supply, more than two years ago, led to all fuel recycling plants at the UK Atomic Energy Authority site being mothballed. 

This latest incident could act as a significant setback to the authority's efforts to win official consent to re-open sites in order to fulfil a number of orders for overseas nuclear reactors. It has a number of commercial contracts lined up including fuel fabrication and the manufacture of isotopes used in the treatment of cancer patients. 

Workers are also hoping that the Department of Trade and Industry gives the go-ahead for the refit of the D1206 plant to allow for the resumption of reprocessing of fuel from the site's defunct prototype fast reactor. 

'MANAGEMENT FAILURES' 
UKAEA did not immediately make public the 90 minute cut, which occurred at 1015GMT on Sunday. Friends of the Earth (Scotland) has accused the organisation of seeking to cover up what it said is the latest in a catalogue of management failures. But UKAEA has described it as a "real-life test" for Dourneay's electrical system which it says has been strengthened after the previous power failure.  A statement from plant bosses said a fuse failed in an electrical system causing temporary loss of power to some non-essential services in the fuel cycle area. 

BATTERY BACK-UP
It adds: "The main air extract system for the fuel cycle area was not affected and remained operational at all times. "Battery back-up systems installed since 1998 ensured that stack monitoring equipment continued to function for all facilities, except one minor facility, a chemical lab, which was closed." Staff left the fuel area until normal power was restored. 

In October it was revealed that just nine of 143 recommended safety improvements have been carried out. Government inspectors demanded that safety be tightened up at the Caithness plant two years ago. The picture was revealed in detailed in the annual report by industry regulators. And it was the second time the audit had highlighted that improvements have to be made.