SRR Bubbler Project Earns PMI Project of the Year Honor
November 10, 2011
Bill Pepper (center), SRR Bubbler Project Manager, accepts the PMI Project of the Year award from Eloy Saldivar (left), PMI President. Looking on is Les Sonnenberg, DWPF Facility Manager.
Aiken, SC – The Savannah River Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI) recently recognized the Savannah River Remediation's (SRR) Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Melter Bubbler project as its 2011 Project of the Year.
The bubbler technology was installed in DWPF's melter in September 2010 to increase the annual production of canisters, which are filled with a highly-radioactive waste sludge mixed into a glassified form suitable for permanent storage.
The bubblers increased the glass melt rate significantly to achieve expected SRR production enhancement goals, according to Bill Pepper, SRR Bubbler Project Manager.
"During fiscal year 2011, DWPF produced 267 canisters, a record number of canisters filled in a single year," Pepper said. "This is a great testament to a dedicated project team that planned, integrated and executed all the engineering, design, fabrication, installation, startup and commissioning activities associated with this project."
The bubblers blow argon gas bubbles into the DWPF's 65-ton melter to provide a more uniform and higher temperature throughout the molten glass, which increases the melter's glass production rate.
Jean Ridley, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) manager on the project, said the project team met DOE's expectations by "safely implementing the facility modifications."
"The SRR integrated bubbler project team effectively executed the project ahead of schedule, delivering enhanced canister production capability at DWPF, which will help accelerate waste processing and maintain our momentum in closing the Site's waste tanks," Ridley said.
PMI is a not-for-profit professional organization for the project management profession chartered for the purpose of advancing project management.
PMI President Eloy Saldivar said the SRR bubbler project submission was a good example in coordination and efficiency.
"The integrated bubbler project team showed considerable proficiency in coordination with multiple agencies on the project and had a scope and schedule that were clearly defined and met," Saldivar said.
SRR is the liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site, which is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy. SRR consists of a team of companies led by URS Corp. with partners Bechtel National, CH2M Hill and Babcock & Wilcox. Critical subcontractors for the contract are AREVA, Energy Solutions and URS Safety Management Solutions.
For more information contact Dean Campbell dean.campbell@srs.gov at SRR (803) 208-8270