Cold Jet Supplies Integrated Dry Ice Production and Blast Cleaning Systems for Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant |
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Cold Jet LLC
455 Wards Corner Rd.
Loveland, OH, 45140
USA
Press release date: August 13, 2008
CINCINNATI -August 13, 2008 - Cold Jet, the world's leading manufacturer of dry ice blasting and production solutions, has been selected to provide two customized integrated dry ice blasting and production systems for the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant in Hanford, Washington. Cold Jet was contracted by Wagstaff Applied Technologies, a subcontractor to Bechtel National, Inc. Bechtel is designing, constructing and commissioning the waste treatment plant to dispose of the world's largest concentration of radioactive waste, leftover from U.S. weapons production efforts during the Cold War era.
The waste will be vitrified by blending it with molten glass and placing it in stainless steel canisters to ensure hundreds to thousands of years of stable and impermeable storage. Cold Jet's integrated blasting and pelletizer systems will be part of an automatic weld inspection system installed in the sites Low Activity Waste Facility. The CO2 pelletizer will automatically feed the blasting systems, which will clean the welds made to fasten the end caps of the steel canisters so that the welds can be inspected for leaks. The waste treatment facility and Cold Jet's equipment are expected to be operational for 40 years.
"This project represents the epitome of a 'green' application for Cold Jet," said Gene Cooke, CEO of Cold Jet. "We have under taken years of research and development to meet the stringent standards and requirements that were defined in the original request for this project. The fact that we were selected demonstrates the confidence that our partners have in our technology to support the largest waste clean-up project in our nation's history for many years to come. We are proud to be a part of this project, which will help to contain the waste and prevent further contamination of the groundwater that threatens the Columbia River and the people downstream."
Cold Jet's dry ice production equipment has been engineered to produce the highest density extruded dry ice available, which results in longer shelf life, better transportability, and better blasting aggression. For more than 20 years, the company's dry ice blast cleaning systems have proven to provide consistent performance and durability. The dry ice blast cleaning involves accelerating dry ice pellets at supersonic speeds using compressed air. Once the dry ice pellets hit the surface being cleaned, they sublimate without creating secondary waste. The environmentally responsible process is non-toxic, non-abrasive, and non-conductive.
"One of our strengths is the ability to develop custom solutions that allow organizations to take advantage of the benefits of dry ice blasting," added Cooke. "The fact that our solution is part of the world's largest nuclear clean-up project is a testament to the technology and the people behind the innovation. It should also assure our customers and contractors that they are doing business with the right company and using the right solution for their own cleaning challenges."
Hanford was home to nine reactors during the Cold War era with a mission to produce plutonium for new atomic weapons. While plutonium production stopped many years ago, the site is now home to more than 53 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste stored underground in 177 underground tanks, which were only designed to last for 20 years.
About Cold Jet
Cold Jet, LLC is the world's leading manufacturer of dry ice blasting and production solutions. For more than two decades, Cold Jet has been developing innovative cleaning solutions from fully automated systems and handheld devices to high-volume dry ice production equipment and customized engineered solutions that solve a variety of cleaning challenges around the world. Cold Jet offers the largest selection of environmentally responsible dry ice blasting machines, including the award-winning Aero Series and the i3 family of systems, which features the company's patented shaved ice and feeder technologies. The company's CO2 Pelletizers are used by every major gas company worldwide to produce the highest density extruded dry ice available. Cold Jet is a private company with headquarters in Loveland, Ohio and international operations in Belgium, Canada, China, Germany and Mexico. For more information, visit www.coldjet.com.
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