Deep Isolation Nuclear, a company based in Berkeley, was recently picked for the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready program. This award includes up to $40 million in support to help get their Universal Canister System (UCS) out of the lab and into the field.

The goal is to move past small-scale tests and prove that the nuclear waste-disposal technology works for large commercial projects. To do that, the company is planning a field test in Cameron, Texas. They won’t be using any actual radioactive material for this pilot, but they will be testing the full process of burying canisters deep underground in boreholes to show the system is safe and ready for licensing.

A Team Effort for Nuclear Waste

Deep Isolation has put together a group of well-known industry names to handle the different moving parts. Halliburton will take the lead on drilling the boreholes, while NAC International will build the canisters. Amentum is stepping in to oversee safety and quality, and Westinghouse is signed on as the first customer.

Westinghouse wants to use these canisters to store and transport fuel from its own “eVinci” microreactors. If they can get the thumbs-up from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, it could change how the industry thinks about the back end of nuclear power.

“Being selected for this award is the single biggest milestone in Deep Isolation’s history,” said Rod Baltzer, President and CEO at Deep Isolation. “It validates years of pioneering work on the Universal Canister System and positions us to deliver the world’s first full-scale, end-to-end, commercial-ready deep borehole disposal solution.”

Baltzer added, “We are creating a deployable, regulatory-approved system that will transform how the world manages nuclear waste safely, efficiently, and permanently.”

Moving Toward a Permanent Solution

For a long time, figuring out what to do with spent fuel has been a major hurdle for nuclear energy. This project is trying to turn a theoretical idea into a practical tool that can be used globally.

“The integration of UCS with our eVinci™ microreactor technology provides a comprehensive solution for managing spent nuclear fuel through its entire lifecycle,” said Dr. Lou Martinez Sancho, Westinghouse Chief Technology Officer. “This partnership showcases the impact of innovation, where we are merging our next-generation nuclear technology with a reliable, economical and adaptable method for handling nuclear waste.”

He added, “The Commercial Pilot will generate valuable insights which will set the stage for wider adoption and global confidence in advanced nuclear solutions.”

“Deep boreholes have long been considered a promising solution for spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste disposal,” said Mark Whitney, President of Energy & Environment at Amentum. “Amentum is excited to work with Deep Isolation and its collaborators to move this concept toward commercialization and turn it into a practical reality.”