Gensym G2 Rule Engine Helps CH2M HILL Manage Columbia River Protection Project

Upgrade of G2 Application Simplifies Waste 
Disposal Decisions at DOE's Hanford Site 

BURLINGTON, MA (08/22/06) -- Gensym Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: GNSM), a leading provider of rule engine software for mission-critical solutions, today announced a major upgrade of the U.S. Department of Energy's G2-based application for planning the removal of hazardous waste from underground tanks located at DOE's Hanford Site next to the Columbia River in southeastern Washington. The upgrade enhances planning of key operational steps and analysis of economic tradeoffs that have the potential to save hundreds of millions of dollars in costs. The upgrade follows an initial enhancement project that together total to more than $2 million dollars in professional services and licenses for Gensym.

The DOE Office of River Protection's mission is to clean up Hanford's tank waste to protect the Columbia River. CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., a part of CH2M HILL, a global leader in engineering, construction, and operations, is responsible for safely managing approximately 53 million gallons of liquid radioactive and chemical waste stored in 177 underground tanks until it can be prepared for disposal. The tanks contain materials from years of World War II and post-war weapons production and account for 60 percent by volume of the U.S.'s high-level radioactive waste. CH2M HILL is using G2's rule-driven modeling and simulation capability to plan the efficient movement of materials from older tanks to newer tanks and then to a waste treatment plant that is currently being built.

Driving Plans and Tradeoffs

"During the past several years we have been taking advantage of G2's rule, process modeling, and dynamic simulation technologies to drive complex scheduling and decision-making," said Stewart Mackay, director of process analysis with CH2M HILL Hanford Group. "Our G2 application, which we refer to as the Hanford Tank Waste Operations Simulator, or HTWOS, models and simulates tanks, waste compositions, and waste flows. It applies decision rules to enable us to create practical and effective plans for safely moving the waste. For example, while creating a schedule, HTWOS balances material flows in order to avoid bottlenecks and to ensure sufficient space in the tanks.

"HTWOS drives important tradeoff decisions through what-if analysis of different strategies. For instance, if we blend tank materials for more efficient waste treatment, we can cut the total life of the project significantly, especially in view of the fact that it is estimated to cost between $300 and $500 million dollars per year once the waste treatment plant is completed. However, these blending strategies can require significant upfront investments in equipment such as pumps, mixers, and pipes. HTWOS gives us the tools to analyze the trade-offs and then work with the DOE to make the most economical decisions."

Upgrade Enhances Decision Making

The upgrade of HTWOS will enhance what-if analysis of decisions through addition of neural-network predictions of material composition, a doubling of simulation speed, and new reporting capabilities. Neural networks more accurately predict the liquid and solids composition of the materials during blending, which in turn improves simulation of the treatment facility. Faster simulations allow more detailed modeling of tanks and the waste treatment facility and increase the number of alternative scenarios that can be evaluated. New XML-based and graphical reporting formats facilitate review and analysis of simulation results by decision makers.

Broader Applications

A second G2 application at Hanford monitors underground tank conditions in real time to alert operating staff to conditions that can lead to problems such as leaks or emissions. The application, named Tank Monitor and Control System, or TMACS, connects to thousands of instruments to continuously analyze tank parameters such as temperature, levels, pressure, gas concentrations, and ventilation flows. When unusual conditions are detected, TMACS alerts operators. As part of the upgrade project, Gensym and CH2M HILL have just begun work to enhance TMACS's condition detection capabilities.

Longer term, integration of HTWOS simulation and TMACS online capabilities is under consideration. This synergetic combination of offline and online capabilities would enhance real-time management of waste material movements and related workflows.

"We are honored to be supporting such an important mission," said Mike Barnett, director of professional services for Gensym. "HTWOS is an outstanding example of how G2's combination of rules, process modeling, and dynamic simulation minimize the risk of making challenging and high-impact decisions. We are very pleased to be working with CH2M HILL, one of the top engineering firms in the world. We look forward to supporting their management of the Columbia River Protection Project in the years to come."

About CH2M HILL Hanford Group

CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. is the DOE Office of River Protection's prime contractor responsible for retrieving Hanford's underground tank waste. CH2M HILL Hanford Group is a part of CH2M HILL, a global firm providing engineering, construction, operations, and related technical services to public and private clients. With more than $3.8 billion in revenue, CH2M HILL is an industry leading program management, construction management for fee, and design firm, as ranked by Engineering-News Record (2005).

About Gensym Corporation

Gensym Corporation (www.gensym.com) is a leading provider of rule engine software and services for mission-critical solutions that automate decisions in real time. Gensym's flagship G2 software applies real-time rule technology for decisions that optimize operations and that detect, diagnose, and resolve costly problems. With G2, the world's largest organizations in manufacturing, utilities, communications, transportation, aerospace, finance, and government maximize the agility of their businesses and achieve greater levels of performance. Gensym and its numerous partners deliver a range of services throughout the world, including training, software support, application consulting, and complete solutions.

Gensym and G2 are registered trademarks of Gensym Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.