Scottish Secretary Michael Moore and Rural Affairs Minister Richard Lochhead travelled to Dounreay yesterday to witness the start of a new regime.
Mr Moore said: “Dounreay was a beacon of engineering excellence in its operating days. It is now a world centre of excellence in decommissioning skills.”
Mr Lochhead said the Scottish Government is committed to clearing up the nuclear legacy it has inherited.
He said: “Today’s announcement is good news as it will allow Dounreay to enter its final decommissioning phase.
“It also provides investment in the local area which will secure jobs and I am confident that Dounreay’s highly-skilled workforce can show the world how to successfully turn a complex nuclear site into a safe, secure and clean state.”
The changeover sees Roger Hardy head up a new 11-strong management team as site managing director.
He said: “We are delighted now to be officially in contract and able to implement our vision for the Dounreay site.
“We will be applying our international decommissioning and site management know-how and proven technologies newto the UK, to tackle thedifficult challenges involved.”
He added: “We will be reducing costs through introducing proven innovation, not just by doing the same thing better.
“We will be setting new standards for decommissioning delivery and safety and we will be seeking to establish Dounreay as the European reference site for nuclear decommissioning and closure.”
Mr Hardy said safetywill continue to be over-riding priority for his team.
John Clarke, the newly-installed chief executive officer of the NDA, said the competition has been a major success.
He said: “As well as giving excellent value for money for the taxpayer,we are confident that this contract will bring exemplary operations at the site.”