Direct melting furnaces for waste gasification have been drawing public attention recently as a next-generation solid waste disposal technology in view of the scarcity of final disposal sites and of dioxin-related problems. Direct melting furnaces for waste gasification cause the following process: solid waste is gasified to produce pyrolysis gas, which in turn is fired with char at high temperatures to melt ash in the char and collect the molten ash as slag. We have started developing a direct melting furnace for waste gasification as a next-generation solid waste disposal technology and have constructed a demonstration facility (20t/day) at the premises of our Niihama Plant. This system, intended for the disposal of municipal solid waste, consists of a circulating fluidized bed gasification furnace and a kiln-based melting furnace. From November 1999, we have been conducting actual testing totaling 116 days including 30 days of consecutive running to verify this system.