The Tokai Vitrification Facility (TVF) is the only operating vitrification plant in Japan, constructed and operated by JAEA, to vitrify concentrated high radioactive liquid waste (HALW) in the Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP). JAEA started TVF hot operation in 1995 and produced 218 canisters as of March, 2006. An existing melter is the second melter, which was installed from 2002 to 2004 in place of the first melter stopped its operation by damage of a main electrode. JAEA has estimated that the damage was caused by accumulation of noble metal. Therefore, melter bottom structure was improved to get better drain ability of glass containing noble metal. Completing the melter replacement, vitrification operation was restarted in October 2004 and produced 88 canisters successfully until the end of March 2006. Through these experiences, JAEA made basic strategy to achieve stable TVF operation: keeping stable operation of the existing melter preventing adverse effect by noble metal accumulation and developing a new advanced melter with long lifetime preparing for future exchange as the third melter. Based on the basic strategy, JAEA made a decade development plan of necessary key technologies and has started the development since 2005.
Graphite Technology Development Plan