Workers install a 40-ton evaporator unit inside the Effluent Management Facility.

Some recent heavy lifts are helping the Effluent Management Facility (EMF) continue to take shape.

Workers used a heavy lift crane to safely install the evaporator unit and two structural steel roof modules – each weighing more than 40 tons. The placements were key activities toward completing construction of the final Balance of Facilities (BOF) support building required to deliver the Department of Energy’s (DOE) direct feed low-activity waste vitrification approach.

The evaporator unit is a 45-ton tower that includes the evaporator vessel, associated shielding plate, and steel structural support. The assembled unit measures 45-feet tall and 20-feet wide. The evaporator is the heart of EMF and allows the vitrification plant to operate efficiently by removing excess water while sending the remaining concentrated liquid back into the vitrification process.

The C5 roof module weighs 45 tons, measures 67-feet by 63-feet, and includes more than 500 feet of pre-installed fire protection pipes. The C3 module is 40 tons, 61-feet by 68-feet, and includes more than 600 feet of piping. Workers constructed the roof modules and pre-installed the piping at ground level to reduce the amount of work performed at heights inside the building. Installing the roof modules provides overhead protection for workers and building systems during the winter months.

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

An employee inspects electrical control equipment in the Chiller Compressor Building.

The Hanford Vit Plant recently turned over four more utility buildings that are part of the Balance of Facilities (BOF) for startup and testing.

The Vit Plant continues to transition from construction to startup and commissioning, supporting the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) plan to treat tank waste at the Hanford Site through the Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) approach by 2023.

The Anhydrous Ammonia Facility, Glass Former Storage Facility, Chiller Compressor Building, and Steam Plant Building are now in the startup phase, where they are verified and tested as complete and in safe working order. The startup phases for the facilities are scheduled for completion in 2019.

After startup, systems will undergo a commissioning phase to ensure they are ready to support future plant operations.

BOF contains a total of 56 systems, including electrical power distribution, backup power, water purification, compressed air, steam, communication and control, and fire water systems. Of the 56 systems, 27 have successfully completed startup and testing and have transitioned to the commissioning phase; 24 are in the startup phase; and the final five are nearing turnover from construction to startup.

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