SPV melts do not require much capital investment, because the only construction necessary is the cavern that must be dug and the retrieval of the vitrified mass after the melt. SPV melts cost roughly $355–461 per ton of processed waste. When compared to the disposal cost of $555 per kilogram (or $500,000 per ton) of nuclear waste, SPV is very cost-effective. There is also very little risk of worker injury on the job because the melting process happens underground and away from the workers at the site. Finally, the melt caverns have no size restrictions, so SPV can handle very large volumes of waste at once.