The Energy Department plans to extend a sole-source contract with Atkins for research on vitrification at the Waste Treatment Plant being built at the Hanford Site in Washington state.
The DOE Office of River Protection at Hanford said in July 14 procurement notice it intends to keep using the SNC-Lavalin Group subsidiary for testing of prototypes of components, such as melters, that would be used to convert low-activity waste into a glass-like substance at the Bechtel-built facility.
The actual testing by Atkins occurs on the East Coast, at the Vitreous State Laboratory of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. The Catholic University laboratory has a long-running partnership with Atkins.
The Energy Department has determined that Atkins Energy Federal, in its partnership with the Catholic University facility, has the expertise necessary to test a pilot-scale melter and ancillary equipment similar to what will be used at Hanford.
The contract, valued at $9 million over up to five years, will replace a 13-month, $1.5-million extension scheduled to expire Dec. 30 on a contract issued in 2016.
The WTP will convert much of the 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste in Hanford’s underground tanks into a stable glass form for disposal. The plant is supposed to start processing low-activity waste by the end of 2023.
While DOE is not submitting other bids for the work, interested parties can submit capability statements by July 29, according to the notice. Questions can be emailed to DOE Contracting Officer Jennifer Rooney, at [email protected].
