Calcine Disposition Project Introduction
Calcine Elios 3 Drone Training
Located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Chemical Processing Plant 659, The New Waste Calcining Facility (NWCF), once converted liquid high-level radioactive waste from the Tank Farm into calcine, a granular solid similar in consistency to sand. Calcine was transferred to large stainless-steel bins encased in six high-integrity concrete vaults called bin sets.
Calcining achieved significant volume reduction from liquid to solid. The calciner was shut down in May 2000. NWCF is currently used for characterization, repackaging and preparation of remote-handled transuranic waste for shipment to WIPP. NWCF contains equipment necessary to perform decontamination/ treatment of debris and HEPA filters and underwent modifications to its hot cell to allow for the treatment and repackaging of larger remote-handled transuranic (RH-TRU) waste items. The facility is also used for transferring sodium-bearing waste from the Tank Farm to the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit for treatment. Approximately, 20 employees support this mission today.
Today, the Calcine Disposition Project (CDP) team focuses its efforts on developing the most effective techniques to retrieve the granular waste from the bin sets. At an INTEC facility, the CDP utilizes a full-scale replica mockup of bin set #1 to test retrieval technologies. At a future date, all 4,400 cubic meters of calcine will be removed from the bin sets and prepared for shipment out of the state of Idaho.
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