Nuclear plant staff 'can go green'

STAFF at Dounreay nuclear plant will be able to transfer their skills to a renewable energy "revolution" in Scotland, it was claimed yesterday.

Richard Lochhead, the environment secretary, was expected to visit the Caithness site today to see how the decommissioning process could be harnessed to create jobs in alternative energy production.Workers at other out-dated nuclear plants across Scotland would also be able to transfer their skills, he said. Dounreay operators UKAEA said about 2,000 people work on the north coast site, but numbers will go down to "almost zero" when the last building is flattened by 2025.Mr Lochhead, speaking before the visit, said the Scottish Government is committed to renewable energy.He added: "Dounreay's experience in technology development and the skills of its workforce have the potential to be at the forefront of the Scottish renewables revolution