After decades, Hanford’s WTP begins vitrifying tank waste

The milestone meets the DOE’s October 15 deadline with the state of Washington to demonstrate the WTP’s ability to vitrify waste and is an important step in reducing the long-term environmental risks of legacy tank waste at the Hanford Site. Generated through the processing of plutonium for weapons production, Hanford has about 54 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste stored in 177 massive underground tanks.

In the vitrification process, tank waste is blended with glass-forming materials and heated to 2,100°F inside one of two 300-ton melters before being poured into stainless steel containers for safe, long-term disposal.

Hot commissioning: The vitrification of tank waste marks the beginning of hot commissioning of the WTP’s Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility, during which facility systems will be tested and validated prior to obtaining regulatory approval for full-scale operations. Under the DOE’s Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) initiative, tank waste is treated to remove more radioactive cesium, and solids can be fed directly to the LAW Facility for vitrification.

According to the DOE, “The focus now shifts to safely operating the Low-Activity Waste Facility, advancing the direct-feed high-level waste approach, and accelerating the tank waste mission.”

Bechtel, which designed, built, and is commissioning the WTP for the DOE, said that in the coming months its project team will continue feeding waste and glass-forming frit into the LAW Facility melters, filling stainless-steel containers, and transporting them to Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility for disposal.

Following hot commissioning, which is expected to take several months, Bechtel will turn the LAW Facility over to DOE operations contractor Hanford Tank Waste Operations and Closure (H2C). During operations, the facility will process an average of 5,300 gallons of tank waste per day, according to Bechtel.

While neither Bechtel nor the DOE could comment on the current federal government shutdown or its effects on operations, Bechtel communications manager Staci West said the company is “continuing its posture in vitrifying waste.”

Background: Construction of the WTP, which was to vitrify the waste after separating it into high- and low-level waste streams, began in 2000. The plant was originally scheduled to be completed in 2011 at a cost of $5.8 billion. The DOE, however, paused construction in 2012 after technical issues were encountered in the construction of the plant’s High-Level Waste (HLW) Facility.

In response, the DOE initiated its DFLAW plan to continue with the treatment of low-level waste while issues with the HLW Facility were being resolved. Estimates for completing the WTP currently range from $17 billion to $20 billion.

Milestones for completing the treatment and vitrification of Hanford’s tank waste were first outlined in a 1989 consent decree, called the Tri-Party Agreement, between the DOE, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Under a revised schedule agreed on in 2024 by the parties, Hanford was to complete hot commissioning of the LAW Facility by August 1 of this year. That date was later extended to October 15 due to construction and commissioning issues with the plant.

Operational testing of the LAW Facility began in May with the introduction of waste simulants into the melters, and in September, the DOE approved Critical Decision-4A, Approve Start of Operations or Project Completion, allowing pretreated waste to be piped into the facility. The Department of Ecology followed suit earlier this month when it issued a permit for waste treatment to begin.

Following a September 8 Politico report, rumors spread that the DOE intended to abandon WTP waste operations, a charge that Energy Secretary Chris Wright denied.

Vitrification of Hanford’s high-level waste is expected to begin in 2033.

Quotables: “I appreciate the hard work and determination of the entire Hanford team to deliver on this legal commitment,” said Hanford Site manager Ray Geimer. “This achievement enables us to shift focus to safely operating the plant and to progressing solutions for the Hanford tank waste mission in its entirety.”

“This milestone represents the realization of a vision shared by many,” said Dena Volovar, president of Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security, and Environmental business. “It reflects decades of teamwork, innovation, and partnership with our customer to solve one of the nation’s most complex environmental challenges—safely and permanently.”

“It’s difficult to overstate how important this milestone is in the Hanford cleanup effort,” said Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson. “A month ago, the U.S. secretary of energy said behind closed doors that the federal government would back away from its obligation to bring this plant on line. The united voices of workers, businesses, and elected leaders made a difference. We made history today.”