Crews at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) have completed the first test to demonstrate that liquids can safely run through and between facilities that will support vitrification.
Office of Environmental Management
February 15, 2022
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RICHLAND, Wash. – Crews at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) have completed the first test to demonstrate that liquids can safely run through and between facilities that will support vitrification, a process that will transform the Hanford Site’s radiological and chemical tank waste into a safe form for disposal.
Commissioning technicians have completed an initial test, called a water run, in a critical system in the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility. The test was done on the melter feed process system vessels, where glass-forming materials will be mixed with low-activity tank waste. The mixture will be fed to large melters and heated to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit during vitrification.
“Water tests are important for confirming plant systems and equipment are performing safely and within operational requirements for the significant mission ahead,” said Rick Holmes, general manager for Waste Treatment Completion Company, a subcontractor to Bechtel National Inc., the EM Office of River Protection (ORP) prime contractor designing, building and commissioning the WTP.
The technicians tested the process system vessels by remotely filling them with water, running internal agitators, and collecting data, including level and density measurements. The agitators maintain a proper mix of materials inside the vessels before the mixture is transferred to the melters.
“These tests build more momentum toward heating up the first melter and ensuring operational efficiency and effectiveness,” said Mat Irwin, ORP deputy assistant manager for the WTP.
Following melter heatup, technicians will feed simulated waste and glass-forming materials into the melters, a step called cold commissioning, later this year.
As part of the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Program, tank waste and glass-forming materials are mixed, heated and poured into specially designed stainless-steel containers. The containers are then transported a short distance to the site’s Integrated Disposal Facility for disposal. The program is a system of interdependent projects and infrastructure improvements, managed and highly integrated, that must operate together to vitrify the waste.
During full operations, the LAW Facility is designed to vitrify up to 5,000 gallons of low-activity waste each day, equivalent to up to 1.75 million gallons each year.
The WTP facilities can be viewed using the self-guided Hanford Virtual Tour. Information on the commissioning process, including a loss-of-power test and melter heatup, is available on the Journey to Melter Heatup website.
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