Bechtel National, Inc. is designing, constructing and commissioning a complex treatment plant to vitrify Hanford’s tank waste by blending it with molten glass and placing it in stainless steel canisters. The waste will remain stable and impervious to the environment while its’ radioactivity dissipates over hundreds to thousands of years. Vitrification is a waste stabilization method that has been proved in Europe and in the U.S. at Department of Energy sites.
The Vit Plant, or Waste Treatment Plant, is a 65-acre complex with three major nuclear facilities, an analytical laboratory, office space, support facilities and utilities. Started in 2001, the Vit Plant is expected to be completed in 2019.
To learn more about the Vit Plant or our process, please visit the links below.
Fact Sheet files
Overview
Pretreatment Facility
High-Level Waste Facility
Low-Activity Waste Facility
Analytical Laboratory
Pretreatment Engineering Platform