Two years after creating Graphitech, a joint venture dedicated to innovations for the deconstruction of graphite-gas reactors, EDF and Veolia renew their commitment via Waste2Glass. This new joint venture, owned by Cyclife and Asteralis, aims to industrialize the vitrification process developed by Veolia and to position itself as a benchmark in the treatment of waste. Radioactive waste complexes.
The launch of Waste2Glass is scheduled for early 2022. It will be installed in Limay (Yvelines), near a new pilot unit integrating the GeoMelt® vitrification process, commissioned by Veolia, in order to conduct the demonstrations and obtain the qualifications necessary for the industrial deployment of this sector.
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Industrial deployment
Vitrification consists of trapping radioactive waste in a safe material. The GeoMelt® vitrification process thus makes it possible to incinerate organic waste and immobilize radionuclides as well as heavy metals in a « ultra-stable glass, which looks like obsidian and is typically 10 times stronger than concrete ”.
The new company will thus strive to meet the challenge of the industrial deployment of GeoMelt®, which makes it possible to generalize and simplify the use of the vitrification process for a wider type of waste. This solution has already made it possible to treat 26,000 tonnes of radioactive waste and hazardous waste, particularly in the United States.
“I am delighted with this additional step taken in our collaboration with EDF with the creation of Waste2Glass. It will enable a real change of scale through the industrialization of GeoMelt®, which will make it possible to treat radioactive waste in a safer and more economical way, with a reduction in storage volumes ”, commented Antoine Frérot, Chairman and CEO of Veolia, in a press release.
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