New nuclear waste treatment plant in Russia

Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in Russia has completed construction of a modern nuclear waste treatment plant. At the new plant nuclear waste will be burnt in a special plasma furnace at a temperature of nearly 2,000 degree Celsius. This method will allow to process even non-combustible substances in the nuclear waste. The waste will be melted down to the so called glassy slag, which in principle is glass, but includes non-ferrous metals, according to a statement.

This technology is safer and the volume of radioactive waste in the process will be reduced by nearly a hundred times. The gas produced during combustion will be emitted into the atmosphere only after a five-phase purification process.

Operating life of the new complex is 30 years. Initially it will receive waste only from the Novovoronezh NPP, and after treatment will send for ultimate disposal in a pressurised concrete container. In future it will treat waste from other plants as well.

Aleksey Schukin, Director of the Engineering Centre for Operation said "As estimated in 20 years we will not have any storages of radioactive waste left and the nuclear plant will operate without nuclear waste storages."