Richland, Wash.-It’s still too early to predict the outcome, but anhydrous ammonia produced from wind and water onsite could be supplying some of the energy needed to vitrify millions of gallons of high-level nuclear wastes. Most of the material is stored in about 200 underground tanks at the former Hanford nuclear plant. Bechtel National is currently working on the project, which is described as the largest federal construction project in the U.S. As of last fall, Bechtel reported that construction is 50 percent complete. The $12.2 billion nuclear waste cleanup project is scheduled to begin operation in 2019. It will mix high-level nuclear wastes with glass at extremely high temperatures and dispose of it in solid waste logs in a deep geological depository. The vitrification plant will require huge amounts of energy, supplied mostly by a steam plant designed to use 45,000 gallons of diesel and leave a high carbon footprint, explained Gary Petersen, vice president of Hanford programs for the Tri-City Development Council. “We’re looking for alternatives such as natural gas, biofuels and anhydrous ammonia which could be used to offset steam for the fuel plant and potentially some of the power itself,” Petersen told Green Markets. That’s led him to NHThree LLC, also located in the Richland area, which Peterson reported is “developing a proposal along those lines.” NHThree CEO Dr. John Holbrook reported that the technology is still in the development stage, and that the setting is probably ideal, with plenty of wind and water available. “Our energy consumption would be much more favorable, but all we have been able to do so far is to produce ammonia in the laboratory,” Holbrook conceded. He said he didn’t know if NHThree would be submitting a proposal.
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