New Transmission Line Powers Progress at Hanford

The Bonneville Power Administration’s new double-circuit, high-voltage transmission line runs along towers on the Hanford Site. The line provides reliable power to support Hanford’s cleanup operations and facilities, including the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. Hanford’s historic B Reactor, part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, is in the background on the left.

RICHLAND, Wash. — Crews have finished installing a new high-voltage transmission line that improves the reliability of electrical service used to power waste treatment operations and other cleanup efforts at the Hanford Site.

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Hanford Field Office, recently energized an 18-mile, 230-kilovolt transmission line. It connects two substations, one near the center of Hanford operations and another just outside the site.

The new line replaces an 80-year-old system that contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) determined could no longer meet the site's long term cleanup needs.

A dual-circuit tower design is included in the new line. That improves reliability for key cleanup projects, including the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. That facility is preparing to begin turning radioactive tank waste into glass for safe disposal, a major milestone in Hanford's effort to reduce risks and protect the environment.

Staff from the Hanford Field Office and Bonneville Power Administration gather for a photo before touring the new 230-kilovolt transmission line on the Hanford Site. From left: Jose Alcocer, Bonneville Transmission Services student intern; Joe Braley, Bonneville customer service engineer; Fred Bryant, Bonneville regional manager; Jeff Cook, Bonneville vice president, Engineering & Technical Service; Dallas Filan, Bonneville customer service engineer; Tina Edwards, Bonneville project manager; Mike Miller, Bonneville senior vice president, Transmission Services; Jeff Sedgwick, Hanford Infrastructure & Services Division; Charles Sweeney, Bonneville Transmission Services account executive; Katie Sheckells, Bonneville Transmission Services manager; Brian Harkins, Hanford Field Office acting manager; Brian Stetter, Hanford Infrastructure & Services Division; Vanessa Turner, Hanford acting assistant manager for Mission Support; and Sean Madderom, Hanford Electrical Utilities program manager.

"This new transmission line will ensure the Waste Treatment Plant, and all our risk-reduction projects continue to have the reliable power they need to operate safely,” said Vanessa Turner, acting assistant manager for Mission Support. "It's a strong example of the One Hanford team in action and the many moving parts that must come together to accomplish our mission."

BPA constructed the towers and transmission line and will use the second circuit. HMIS supported the project and will operate the circuit that provides power to the Waste Treatment Plant and other key Hanford Site facilities.

“As the Hanford Site’s essential services provider, we make sure the infrastructure is ready to meet the demands of the work underway now, and decades into the future,” said Amy Basche, HMIS president. “This partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration helps ensure the Hanford cleanup mission continues to move forward.”