Crews at the Hanford Vit Plant recently started the permanent joule heating system in the second of two melters in the plant’s Low-Activity Waste Facility.
Mat Irwin, DOE Office of River Protection acting assistant manager for the Vit Plant Project, highlighted the significance of both melters reaching operating temperatures.
“The WTP team is now operating the two largest glass melters in the world on a 24/7 schedule,” said Irwin. “This is another important step in our preparations to start treating radioactive and chemical waste from Hanford’s large underground tanks by immobilizing it in glass for disposal.”
In joule heating, electrical current passes through a pool of molten glass in the melter to create and maintain heat. After the melter reached operating temperatures, Vit Plant crews began removing startup heaters. They replaced them with bubblers that circulate air in the molten glass to help maintain an even temperature.
“Our team will continue building operational proficiency as we prepare to pour clean test glass from Melter 2 into a container,” said Rick Holmes, Bechtel National Inc. principal vice president and general manager for the Vit Plant. “These achievements set the stage for several months of ‘cold commissioning’ using simulated waste to test the Low-Activity Waste Facility’s processing and exhaust treatment systems.”
When “hot commissioning” using actual tank waste begins in 2025, the plant will treat millions of gallons of waste using vitrification, which is when waste is mixed with glass-forming materials in the two 300-ton melters, poured into containers, and transferred to Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility for safe disposal.
About the Vit Plant
In southeastern Washington state, Bechtel National, Inc. is designing, constructing, and commissioning the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). When complete, the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, also known as the Vit Plant, will process and stabilize millions of gallons of radioactive and chemical waste currently stored at the Hanford Site.