K -- INDUSTRY SURVEY FOR MOBILE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

Notice Date

June 7, 2001

Contracting Office

CH2M Hill Hanford Group, Inc., Building 2750-200 East, P.O. Box 1500, Richlands, WA 99352

ZIP Code

99352

Response Due

July 9, 2001

Point of Contact

Rick Janecke, (509) 376-3677

E-Mail Address

click here to contact the contract administrator (rick_janecke@rl.gov)

Description

1.0 Introduction CH2M Hill Hanford Group, Inc. (CHG) is interested in determining the extent of existing commercial technology and equipment to assist with retrieval of hazardous radioactive wastes currently stored in underground tanks at the U. S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. Project W-523 will design and install a system to retrieve the radioactive waste from Tank C-104. The portion of the system of interest includes the in-tank waste dislodging and retrieval equipment, and related support systems, collectively referred to as the Mobile Retrieval System (MRS). The MRS is envisioned to consist of two major systems that work together to inject waste from Tank C-104 into a buyer-supplied waste transfer piping system. Firms with capabilities in providing either integrated systems or major subsystems for performing waste retrieval are being sought. CHG anticipates awarding a contract for the MRS in July 2001 based on its assessment of results from ongoing MRS development efforts and the results from this request for information. The following is provided as a guide for those wishing to respond to this request for information (RFI). 2.0 References The following documents are included as part of this Request for Information. They can be viewed by following the hyperlinks below: 1. RPP-7420 Revision 0, Specification for 241-C-104 Mobile Retrieval System (1023 KB .pdf) 2. RPP-7155 Revision 0, C Tank Farm and Tank 241-C-104 Systems and Components Functionality Assessment Report (1024 KB .pdf) 3. RPP-7155 Walk down annotated (contains 111 photographs from the appendices to RPP-7155 -- 3859 KB .pdf ) 4. RPP-7188 Decision Plan for the Selection of the 241-C-104 Retrieval Technology (note that this is a decision document, not a design document) (918 KB .pdf) Note: these documents are in portable document file (.pdf) format. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed to read them. The files have been "bookmarked" for easy navigation; you should select "window/show bookmarks (F5)" within Acrobat to enable this feature. Other relevant SST Retrieval documents, including retrieval performance test results from the Hanford Tanks Initiative can be found at http://www.tanks.org/ using the searchable database on that site. 3.0 Request for Information CH2M Hill Hanford Group seeks information regarding commercially available or adaptable MRS that will add to existing Hanford Site technology and significantly reduce cost and risk from the retrieval of waste associated with the single shell tanks (SSTs). The objective of this request is to gather information from industry to identify firms capable of performing detailed design, fabrication, and testing of an MRS, or of supplying major subsystems. Respondents should have experience producing hardware for application in remote environments, and should familiarize themselves with requirements for removing waste from Hanford's underground storage tanks. This information will be used to ensure that CHG understands the various waste retrieval alternative approaches, their risks, and their application on the Hanford Site tanks. This is not a request for proposals; it is a request for information to facilitate continued discussion. CH2M Hill Hanford Group will not reimburse any costs incurred for providing the information requested. This effort will identify and summarize retrieval solutions by July 9, 2001 so that a clear basis for future retrieval program decisions can be established. CH2M Hill Hanford Group seeks information from industry in two areas of interest: Existing subsystems that can be integrated into a cost-effective, reliable solution for an entire system. Complete technical solutions (i.e., systems) for SST waste retrieval. The solutions must emphasize simplicity and ruggedness because low maintenance and high reliability are essential for cost-effective, long-term, radioactive waste retrieval operations. While there is some interest in adapting the solutions to other Single Shell Tanks, the responses to this Request for Information (RFI) should target the specific challenges in Tank C-104. Proprietary designs and information will be treated accordingly. System elements that have been determined to be major cost and risk drivers include the following: Waste dislodging and conveyance system type, size, weight, and positioning requirements Tank access requirements, including installation of new risers or other physical modifications Liquid and gaseous confinement and treatment of the tank ventilation stream, and the waste conveyance stream Installation and startup costs Operational complexity Cost and complexity of maintenance, and system downtime. The emphasis of the solutions must be on lowering upfront and overall cost. Ultimately, system simplicity and reduced life-cycle costs will be the overriding factors in selection of SST waste retrieval systems. Other important factors include the range of tank configurations and waste types that can be accommodated by the approach, and the amount of site preparation required. 4.0 Background Radioactive waste has been produced at the Hanford Site since 1944 as a by-product of processing spent nuclear fuel for the recovery of plutonium, uranium, and neptunium. Between 1943 and 1964, 133 23-m (75-ft) diameter SSTs were built for the storage of radioactive wastes at the Hanford Site. No wastes have been added to the tanks since November 1980. Most pumpable interstitial liquid and supernatant wastes have since been retrieved from SSTs, to reduce the leak potential, and transferred to environmentally safer double-shell tanks (DSTs). The mission of Project W-523 is to provide the in-tank and tank farm systems, structures and components (SSCs) necessary to retrieve high-level waste from Tank C-104 and transfer the waste to a designated DST. The Project W-523 mission supports the SST Closure Project missions to: Meet regulatory requirements Provide high-level waste feed for the treatment plant, while at the same time supporting potentially major cost savings in immobilization and storage Demonstrate SST retrieval technology suitable for use in potentially unsound tanks Reduce the waste volume stored in the SST system, including approximately 89 kg of plutonium Develop necessary retrieval performance and cost data for application to closure planning, SST retrieval sequencing, and balance of mission costs. 5.0 Tank C-104 Description Tank C-104 was constructed in 1944 as part of the Manhattan Project. The tank was in service beginning in October 1946 and was used to store a variety of processing wastes until, in March 1980, the supernatant was pumped off and the tank was declared inactive. Tank C-104 contains approximately 263,000 gallons of high-level radioactive waste sludge. Tank C-104 is classified as a low heat-load tank, with an internal heat load of approximately 15,000 Btu/hr derived from radioactive constituents in the sludge. Tank C-104 is a single-shell, 100-series, 75-ft diameter, 530,000-gallon capacity tank. It has a 17-ft operating depth and was designed for non-boiling waste with a maximum fluid temperature of 220 F. The tank is constructed of reinforced concrete with a carbon steel liner. The tank is set on a reinforced concrete foundation and covered with soil overburden. The tank is categorized as sound. Additional Tank C-104 information is contained in References 2 and 3. 6.0 Vendor Response Guidance CHG's review will be streamlined if the information provided follows the format given below. It is not necessary to address all aspects of this outline; it is presented for general guidance only. Please consider your information as an opening for further discussion, rather than a final submittal. CHG can supply additional information, if needed; CHG may also respond with questions and comments should your information be unclear or if CHG is interested in more detail. You are free to update or revise your information, if you choose. Please indicate which information is proprietary, and CHG will treat it accordingly. Information is required by July 9, 2001, to the address listed at the top of this Request for Information. 1 General Information 1.1 Company Name 1.2 Other Companies Teamed in this Effort (if Appropriate) 1.3 Primary Contact (Include Name, Title, Telephone Number, Facsimile Number, and Electronic Mail Address) 2 Description Please provide the following information: 2.1 Title (Include a few words that will distinguish your effort from similar submittals) 2.2 Equipment or Systems Discuss your equipment or system. Responses should be brief and may include brochures, concept sketches, and drawings. Describe the application of your equipment, system, or service for retrieving the waste from the tanks, e.g., mobilizing the waste in the tank, removing the waste from the tank, or transporting the waste once it is outside the tank. Describe the approach taken for accessing the tanks and considerations of hole size and location that are important to your equipment or system. Describe the approach taken for control and monitoring of your equipment or system. Include your approach to operator interface with, and control of, the equipment or system. 2.3 Technical Maturity Describe the maturity of the approach (equipment exists, needs to be adapted, or concept only). State where the equipment has been, or is being used. If a concept, state what work remains to prove the concept. Describe any technical risks, and the actions or information needed to resolve those risks. 2.4 Siting Describe buildings, support structures, and utility requirements for your equipment, system, or service. 3 Company/Team Experience Describe any experience in providing equipment, systems, or services that were designed for operation in remote, hazardous, or radioactive environments. Describe any experience designing, building, and operating equipment to be used in a radiation environment. 4 Rough Order Of Magnitude Cost Estimate Include the "off-the-shelf" cost or price for your equipment or system. If possible, provide a rough order of magnitude planning estimate for adaptation of your equipment, system, or services for retrieval of waste from tanks at the Hanford Site, and describe what is included in the estimate.

Web Link

Hanford Procurement Page (http://www.hanford.gov/chgcp/currentprocurement.asp)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010611/KSOL001.HTM (W-158 SN50O2Y0)