A 65m deep shaft was created on the Dounreay site during the 1950s. It was later used as a store for Intermediate Level Waste to within 20m of ground level.
In March 2013, following a competitive exercise, Veolia Nuclear Solutions (VNS) was awarded a contract to develop a concept design for the equipment for clearance of the shaft and tunnel. VNS was able to assemble a multi-disciplinary team with the skills and experience to develop a solution for the unique and challenging problems of operations within the Dounreay shaft and tunnel.
The solution VNS developed consists of a Shaft Intervention Platform (SIP) from which two manipulator arms are suspended.