Russia's Siberian chemical plant starts testing liquid radioactive waste vitrification plant

TOMSK. Aug 1 (Interfax) - JSC Siberian Chemical Plant (SCC), part of TVEL, the fuel division of Rosatom state corporation, has begun endurance testing of a liquid radioactive waste vitrification unit using real solutions, the company's press service said.

The technology was developed by TVEL scientists. Testing is underway for the first time at an operating radiochemical plant. This should eliminate the accumulation of radioactive waste generated during the processing of regenerated uranium.

The unit packs the waste into a glass-like matrix. An additional furnace with a cold crucible handles this. Liquid RW is converted into a solid safe form using borosilicate glass, which is highly resistant to leaching and devitrification at high temperatures.

The glass matrix is the first safety barrier that includes and holds radionuclides. An additional barrier is a specialized container that is placed in a near-surface radioactive waste disposal facility located in a protected area. All these solutions eliminate the possibility of interaction with the environment.

"Resource tests of the induction furnace with a cold crucible at the Siberian Chemical Combine will last until the end of 2025. Then the expert commission will decide on the start of industrial operation of the equipment," according to the press release.

Siberian Chemical Combine resides in Seversk, Tomsk Region, and unites four plants for handling nuclear materials.