Objective
The development of a hydrogen peroxide based wet oxidation process for the treatment of radioactive wastes containing organics has been undertaken within the current EC Third Framework agreement with funding from AEA Technology, Nuclear Electric, and the UK Government (DTI). The benefits of the process are:
- Economic benefits provided by the significant volume reduction of waste for final disposal.
- Removal of chelating organic components whose presence may otherwise limit the options for final disposal of the waste (decategorisation from chelate containing waste above disposal limits to non-chelate containing waste acceptable for disposal).
- Destruction of organics in effluent streams making release to the environment feasible (decategorisation from organic containing effluents exceeding discharge limits to aqueous effluents acceptable for discharge). Within the third framework project an active mobile pilot plant has designed, constructed and operated, culminating in the successfull treatment of active ion exchange resins and mixed reactor sludges at AEA Technology's Winfrith site.
The objectives of the proposed fourth framework project are to extend the active demonstration of the mobile wet oxidation pilot plant to a wider range of active organic wastes from other EU countries. This will enable the process operating envelope of the plant to be defined for a more diverse range of real wastes and will provide direct 'hands-on' operating experience to partners from other member states. An important aspect of the programme is to demonstrate that the plant can be set-up for operation on a new site with a minimum of delay, can be readily decontaminated between campaigns, and easily transported from site to site. The project will involve a close working relationship between technical staff of the participants, (AEA Technology, Belgoprocess, GNS and Nuclear Electric), who will be working alongside each other on the respective sites.
The main elements of the work programme involve:
- Demonstration of the process on representative LWR waste from GNS (Germany).
- Demonstration of the process at a Nuclear Electric host site (AGR or PWR in the UK.
- Demonstration of the process on aqueous effluents at Belgoprocess, Dessel.
- Demonstration of the option for secondary treatment of the product through drying tests using inactive simulants at a GNS test facility.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
OX11 0QJ DIDCOT,HARWELL,CHILTON
United Kingdom