WTP on pace to deliver first major processing facility in 2018
RICHLAND, Wash. - Marking a major milestone, EM’s Office of River Protection and contractor Bechtel National Inc. (BNI) recently announced the completion of assembly of two 300-ton melters to vitrify Hanford ’s low-activity waste.
Assembly of Melter 1 in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant ’s Low-Activity Waste Facility was completed last May; Melter 2 was finished in August. The work was completed ahead of schedule.
“The scale and complexity of these radioactive waste melters are unparalleled. In fact, each of these melters is the largest of its kind ever built in the U.S.; and when we begin making glass, will be the largest in operation in the world," said Bill Hamel, ORP’s federal project director for the WTP.
Measuring about 20 feet by 30 feet and 16 feet high, each melter is composed of a base and walls, off-gas barrier and radiation shield lids, a refractory interior made of high-heat resistant bricks, and other components to feed, mix, and monitor the glass mixture.
“With the melters assembled and all major process equipment already installed, our workforce remains on pace toward the construction complete contract milestone of June 2018 for the LAW Facility," said Peggy McCullough, BNI project director.
The melters will heat Hanford’s low-activity tank waste and glass-forming materials to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit - a process called vitrification - before the mixture is poured into stainless steel containers for permanent storage. Each melter has a glass production capacity of 15 metric tons per day, and together they can fill about 1,100 containers per year.
The LAW Facility is integral to the Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) approach, intended to begin treatment of Hanford tank waste as soon as 2022. This approach uses the LAW Facility, support facilities, and the Analytical Laboratory, which are slated to be finished in advance of completion of the entire WTP. This allows waste vitrification as soon as possible, and provides valuable experience for WTP operations when the plant is complete. The lab is 98 percent complete, and the more than 20 support facilities are largely complete. Some portions of the support facilities and laboratory are undergoing systems testing and startup activities.
“It is key to vitrify the tank waste here at Hanford," said Smith. “The completion of these melters is a huge milestone on the path to doing that."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
