The US Trade & Development Agency USTDA has signed two grant agreements to support Bulgarian nuclear projects as part of a raft of agreements aimed at advancing Bulgaria’s infrastructure, energy, and cybersecurity capabilities. One supports a cost-shared feasibility study with US company Deep Isolation to investigate underground disposal of used fuel from Bulgaria’s NPPs. The other supports a prefeasibility study for the deployment of small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
The US Trade and Development Agency has signed two grant agreements to support Bulgaria’s nuclear ambitions: one will support a cost-shared feasibility study with US company Deep Isolation to support the safe underground disposal of used fuel from Bulgaria’s nuclear power plants, while the other will support a prefeasibility study for the deployment of small modular reactor technology.
Bulgaria has taken a significant step towards enhancing its nuclear safety measures with the recent signing of a grant agreement between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the Bulgarian government. This partnership aims to conduct a feasibility study for the safe underground disposal of spent nuclear fuel, utilizing advanced technology from the U.S.
Berkeley, CA – Deep Isolation is delighted to announce a significant milestone, as shared today by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). With financial support from USTDA, Bulgaria’s national waste management organization, the State Enterprise Radioactive Waste (SERAW), has engaged Deep Isolation to conduct a Feasibility Study. The study will evaluate the use of our patented deep borehole disposal technology to provide safe, permanent disposal solutions for managing Bulgaria’s current and projected inventory of radioactive waste requiring geological disposal. Please see here for the full announcement.
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About Deep Isolation Deep Isolation is a leading global innovator in nuclear waste storage and disposal solutions. Driven by a passion for environmental stewardship and scientific ingenuity, the company’s patented solution of advanced nuclear technologies enables global delivery through its partnerships with industry leaders as well as flexible IP licensing options.
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The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has signed a grant agreement with the Bulgarian government and its state-owned energy holding to support nuclear energy and safety projects in the Balkan country.
Berkeley, CA – Deep Isolation received an award from the Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of State to provide expert advice to selected Central and Eastern European Governments on the development of integrated waste management strategies for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The role is an integral part of the NEXT One Stop Shop (‘Nuclear Expediting the Energy Transition’) that the U.S. Department of State is establishing as part of its wider FIRST program (Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology).
Spent Fuel Management is an element of the FIRST program through the NEXT One Stop Shop. Deep Isolation was selected following an open, competitive process.
Chris Parker, Managing Director of Deep Isolation’s European business, said, “Deep Isolation is proud to support the Department of State in this important initiative, and I am impressed with its pace, clarity, and urgency. In just the first week of our new contract, we have met with government leaders from three countries. They rightly put great importance on the need to develop integrated strategies for managing the nuclear waste that their SMRs will produce in their countries, and the whole team at Deep Isolation looks forward to supporting them in this.”
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About Deep Isolation Deep Isolation is a leading global innovator in nuclear waste storage and disposal solutions. Driven by a passion for environmental stewardship and scientific ingenuity, the company’s patented solution of advanced nuclear technologies enables global delivery through its partnerships with industry leaders as well as flexible IP licensing options.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
About the NEXT initiative Nuclear Expediting the Energy Transition (NEXT) was announced by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry at the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Bucharest, Romania in September 2023. NEXT is a subprogram that provides technical assistance to eligible partner countries under the U.S. Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) initiative. Like other cooperation under the FIRST program, NEXT supports nuclear energy countries, as well as prospective newcomers, as they establish secure and safe civilian nuclear programs in support of their energy security and climate goals under the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation. https://www.smr-first-program.net/next/
Berkeley, CA – Deep Isolation, a leader in nuclear waste disposal solutions, successfully hosted its third technical workshop for the UPWARDS project, a project centered on the development of a Universal Canister System (UCS). The workshop, held at R-V Industries, Inc. in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, focused on large-scale manufacturing and commercialization of this pioneering waste management solution.
The UPWARDS project, funded by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), is developing the UCS and associated Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for advanced reactor waste forms. Deep Isolation leads this initiative in collaboration with partners NAC International, Inc., the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Attendees of the workshop included members of the project’s Technical Advisory Committee, who toured R-V Industries’ facility and observed the UCS prototype canister in its final stages of fabrication. The committee includes representatives from across the nuclear industry who provide ongoing technical and strategic guidance for the project.
Rod McCullum, Senior Director of Decommissioning and Used Fuel at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and a member of the UPWARDS Technical Advisory Committee, emphasized the importance of the UCS initiative: “The Universal Canister System represents a pivotal step toward safe and sustainable nuclear waste management. This innovative approach not only reflects our commitment to the long-term safety of nuclear technologies that will benefit future generations but also reaffirms the nuclear industry’s commitment to transparency and community engagement.”
Jesse Sloane, Executive Vice President of Engineering at Deep Isolation added, “The completion of this Universal Canister System fabrication effort marks a significant milestone for Deep Isolation and reflects years of high-quality work by the UPWARDS team. We are excited to see our research, engineering, and diligence realized in this prototype canister. This initiative demonstrates Deep Isolation’s commitment to innovation, environmental stewardship, and collaboration to ensure responsible management of our energy legacy.”
The UCS is a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated waste management system designed to safely store, transport, and dispose of advanced reactor waste streams. The system is compatible with both mined and deep borehole repositories, providing a flexible, cost-effective, modular, and scalable solution for the advanced reactor industry. R-V Industries, Inc. has been instrumental in the fabrication and development of the canister, making it a key component of future nuclear waste disposal strategies.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
About Deep Isolation Deep Isolation is a leading global innovator in nuclear waste storage and disposal solutions. Driven by a passion for environmental stewardship and scientific ingenuity, the company’s patented solution of advanced nuclear technologies enables global delivery through its partnerships with industry leaders as well as flexible IP licensing options.
About the Universal Canister System Deep Isolation is developing – with support from the ARPA-E ONWARDS program – a Universal Canister System (UCS) for the safe storage, transport and disposal of spent nuclear fuel from advanced reactors. Once encapsulated in a UCS canister, the spent fuel from any advanced reactor will be both safe and future-proofed – that is, ready for any option the waste owner may choose in the future: long-term storage, disposal in a mined geologic disposal facility or disposal in a deep borehole repository. The prototype UCS canister being developed by the current ONWARDS project will be used for field testing at Cameron in Project SAVANT.
In the Energy News Beat, Conversation in Energy with Stuart Turley interviews Elizabeth Muller, Executive Chair and Co-Founder, about the future of nuclear power and the challenges surrounding nuclear waste disposal. They explore public perception shifts, the potential for recycling nuclear waste, and regulatory barriers in the US compared to Europe. Elizabeth highlights Deep Isolation’s innovative underground disposal method and emphasizes the need for legislative changes to advance nuclear power as a key component in achieving net-zero emissions…
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