Description of the plant for solidification of fission products: PAMELA

The solidification of liquid high-level wastes from the reprocessing of nuclear fuels is at present the safe procedure for assuring the necessary long-term isolation from the biosphere of the radionuclides contained in those wastes. In particular, vitrification of the wastes guarantees a solid product which has long-term stability and which is suitable for ultimate storage in a geological formation. The foundation stone of the PAMELA plant for solidification of fission products was laid on 9 September 1981 at Mol in Belgium. This event represented an important step towards realization of the vitrification process developed as a joint German and Belgian effort and supported by the West German Federal Minister for Research and Technology. In 1985, this plant will for the first time in hot operation process high-level waste into glass blocks and glass beads - embedded in lead - at a production rate of 30 kg glass per hour. Thus an important objective of the ongoing German research and development in the field of fission-product vitrification will be achieved