Projects & Programs
Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility
The Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility (PDCF), proposed to be located at the Savannah River Site (SRS), is a National Nuclear Security Administration facility, designed to dismantle excess nuclear weapons pits and prepare oxide suitable for use in Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel for commercial reactors. The PDCF project, currently in final design began in 1997, with preliminary design completed in 2003. Final design will be complete in 3 to 5 years. This project is 1831 contract work. The PDCF facility will disassemble nuclear weapons pits, convert the resulting plutonium to an unclassified oxide form suitable to be used as feed for MOX fuel and properly transfer the remaining pit components and materials. PDCF has a facility design life of 50 years. Battelle’s scope of work includes:
- Safeguards and Security
- Material Control and Accountability
- Environmental Safety and Health
- Radiological Control
- Criticality Safety
- Safety Analysis
- Permitting
- Process Design and Development
The facility receives surplus plutonium pits from Pantex and clean metal from K-Area, then the material is transferred through interim storage to the PDCF, ultimately for conversion to plutonium for MOX fuel, enriched uranium for reuse, and transfer declassified materials for disposal. The plutonium resulting from these processes is transferred to the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility at SRS. The enriched uranium is transferred to Oak Ridge for blending to reduce enrichment and sale to commercial reactors for use as fuel. The waste is transferred to appropriate waste disposal facilities. In 2004, the PDCF was awarded the Pollution Prevention Award for Sustainable design by NNSA. Sustainable design and pollution prevention training, early collaboration with engineers. on design, and thorough process assessments led to 33 sustainable design/pollution prevention opportunities at the PDCF, resulting in approximately $40 million in cost avoidance over the life of the facility.
Direct Metal Oxidation
PITD Lathe Glovebox
Oxide Product Handling Glovebox