An electrician tests control panel switches in the Vit Plant's Analytical Laboratory.

Full energization has been safely completed for the Analytical Laboratory, making it the first of the Vit Plant’s four major nuclear facilities to complete this important step toward startup of the Department of Energy's Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) vitrification approach for treating low-activity tank waste.

Electricity in the facility is now self-contained and flowing through all lights, panels, and outlets. Permanent power will allow employees to begin testing laboratory equipment and ultimately operate the facility.

The energization process began in late October 2017 with de-energized startup testing of the laboratory’s electrical system. Each system was tested to ensure equipment worked as expected individually and as part of the larger systems before bringing full power online.

Read more about this important progress at http://bit.ly/LabEnergization.

Employees prepare to lift a 40-ton process cell pipe rack into the effluent management facility.

Being in two places at once became a key strategy for Hanford Vit Plant employees in maintaining an aggressive construction schedule at the effluent management facility (EMF).

Employees recently installed two 40-ton process cell pipe racks into EMF that were constructed across the parking lot and pre-loaded with more than 3,000 linear feet of pipe and nearly 200 linear feet of cable tray. While those racks were being built over the past several months, another team was inside the facility making progress on special protective concrete coatings, process pump installations, and equipment installations.

Because of the congested footprint of the facility during the construction phase of EMF, completing scope outside of the building using modular construction concepts – a strategy widely used on other global Bechtel projects – allowed for concurrent construction that would have otherwise been completed in series.

Read more about this progress at http://bit.ly/EMFStrategy.

An employee prepares to perform work at the effluent management facility.

The Washington State Department of Ecology has granted the permits needed for the Vit Plant to finish construction of an effluent management facility (EMF).

EMF is one of 22 Balance of Facilities support building required to deliver the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) vitrification approach.

The permits enable Vit Plant workers to install mechanical and piping systems inside the EMF. This work includes process tanks, pumps, pre-fabricated piping modules, heating, ventilation, air conditioning ducts, and other equipment.

Read more about this progress toward treating tank waste at http://bit.ly/EMFPermits.