Running a startup during a pandemic isn’t something even my most experienced mentors have ever faced, and it certainly is not a pursuit for the faint of heart. 

The COVID-19 crisis and “shelter-at-home” orders that abruptly shut down our Berkeley, Calif., headquarters were something I never could have anticipated in my five-year journey to build a company to dispose of nuclear waste. 

The crisis struck just as our growth trajectory was ascending. We had achieved several significant milestones in 2019 and early 2020: A live physical demonstration where we emplaced (and retrieved) a prototype nuclear waste canister in a horizontal drillhole; the kick-off of our Series A raise to secure $10-15 million from venture investors; and the publication of a technical report detailing our initial findings of generic post-closure radiological safety calculations of a horizontal drillhole repository for spent nuclear fuel.

Then suddenly we found ourselves in a whole new world: Worrying about the health and safety of friends, colleagues and family members; adjusting to a 100 percent virtual workforce; trying to keep morale up when mine was being tested; and tightening our financial belts as we watched investors move into crisis-management mode.

Thankfully we did not have all of our eggs in a Series A basket, and we are in a good position. Our sales efforts had already been deployed worldwide, and as a result, amidst the grim realities of coronavirus, we have multiple victories for which to be grateful.

New EPRI Contract Proves Demand for our Expertise

Although we are not yet talking publicly about the work we are doing with governments, today we announced our first non-governmental project: We are working with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to assess the feasibility of onsite horizontal deep borehole disposal for the siting of advanced nuclear energy systems.  We will collaborate with EPRI, the Nuclear Energy Institute, Auburn University, J Kessler and Associates and Southern Company. We are pleased to share this positive news, and we are confident that we’ll be making more announcements like this as our visibility continues to increase.

The feasibility study will discuss physical site characteristics, disposal operations, safety performance analysis, regulatory and licensing considerations and will outline an approach to understanding and building public support, which is a critical element of success.

The world needs options such as Deep Isolation, and this study will equip us with valuable knowledge that we can use for future site-specific work.

My sense, given the conversations I’ve had over the past few weeks, is that government officials, nuclear experts and investors are not losing sight of the long game. While we are all in crisis-management mode due to COVID-19 and related shutdowns, there is a strong appetite to do the right thing. The right thing to do is to move forward with nuclear waste disposal, and I am proud to be part of this process.  

While our hearts are saddened by the unimaginable losses that the world is experiencing, our spirits are strong.  We will lean into the future so we can be a post COVID-19 business success story and a leader in nuclear waste disposition. Our environment and our communities need us to do so.

Governments worldwide have spent decades trying to solve the problem of how to dispose of nuclear waste.

Of the 31 countries that have or have had nuclear reactors, there is not a single open and operating mined repository for spent nuclear fuel, and only a handful have attained sustained progress. There are many reasons the solutions are elusive but cost and community mistrust are common obstacles.

Every nuclear country grappling with this issue has its own unique challenges; it is only through one-on-one partnerships that Deep Isolation can learn how to best apply its solution to a country’s needs. 

Foundation Study, the First Step

During a Deep Isolation Foundation Study, our experts work with clients to evaluate the suitability of horizontal boreholes for their specific situation. In fact, we just announced we’ve signed our first non-government contract to study the feasibility of this for an advanced nuclear power plant scenario. Because each situation is different, our study examines everything from individual waste streams to suitable regional geology and provides a cost-benefit analysis. We aim to paint a complete picture while following well-established international safety best practices of how storage or disposal can be achieved. 

A Foundation Study can include: 

The Foundation Study is the first stage in our cautious and stepwise approach. It will provide a thorough snapshot of what nuclear waste disposition in a horizontal borehole entails. Then the client will be able to make an informed decision about proceeding to the second step, operational readiness. At this stage, we will provide a more in-depth site characterization, including exploring whether the geology is suitable and engaging with the community. A first Foundation study can lead to many other small studies before moving to operational readiness, but these studies are essential to begin understanding if horizontal borehole disposal will work in a specific country and geology.

Innovation Backed by Engineering Expertise

Yes, we acknowledge that we are an innovative and disruptive company, but that innovation is supported by the union of three well-established industries: Nuclear waste handling/engineering, oil and gas directional drilling, and applied sciences. We’re simply building upon our experience in these three mature industries and applying them in a new way.  

As Director of Business Development I have spoken to many people in and around this industry. Whether it be government officials, waste management organization representatives or scientists, there is a common desire to solve this problem. 

This mentality and desire is a hallmark of our work at Deep Isolation. The disposition of nuclear waste is not only important to those that work in the industry but is also important for the 7.8 billion people living on this planet. An issue this massive begs for a collaborative approach. There is a want, a need, and a desire to solve this problem, and this can only be achieved through partnership and collaboration with those involved. 

Learn about the science supporting our proposed nuclear waste disposal solution in our recently published safety calculations technical report. You can also attend a May 12 webinar by the report author to learn more.

New safety calculations report offers a science-based starting point for a conversation about nuclear waste disposal.

Through and Through

Len says one steady pull more ought to do it.

He says the best way out is always through.

And I agree to that, or in so far

As that I can see no way out but through —

Leastways for me—and then they’ll be convinced. (ll. 55-59)

“A Servant of Servants” 1915, Robert Frost

Though fortunately not the object of the dynamic described by Frost, wherein a wife describes what she wants (“rest”) and her husband responds, I empathize as I adapt the prose to the challenge of finding a way through the nuclear waste impasse. Yet the job needs to be done and its necessity hovers over every day. 

Though I don’t know the exact route through, I do know that neither blunt force nor shortcuts will get us there. If we are going to permanently dispose of nuclear waste we need to take stock of all the past mistakes that have been made, acknowledge the hurdles that remain in the way and plot a course for moving forward. I would argue that the most forbidding obstacles are social and political, which time and again render the possible impossible. They needn’t be though if we give priority to seeking resolutions.

The  Deep Isolation team has developed a novel method to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste in underground horizontal boreholes. At the core of our approach is devoting time to meeting with members of the public and other stakeholders to listen to their ideas and concerns. I am glad we’ve made this a priority because I know it’s crucial to the company’s success. A significant scientific step that could advance our cause is outlined in a new Deep Isolation report: “Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal in a Deep Horizontal Drillhole Repository Sited in Shale: Numerical Simulations in Support of a Generic Post-Closure Safety Analysis.” This technical report was based on multiple computer simulations analyzing the safety of a post-closure generic deep horizontal drillhole repository. The results suggest that the Deep Isolation concept can be proven to be safe and fully protective of humans. The promising conclusions weren’t derived from any specific geology, but it is a credible prerequisite for future analyses, especially ones done for specific geological sites.

Nuclear Waste Disposal Safety Report

Here is a breakdown of the report:

Main objectives:

• Create a preliminary list of required safety aspects for a regulatory license for deep horizontal drillhole repositories;
• Establish a template for site-specific safety analyses;
• Develop a technical basis for discussions with all stakeholders regarding the performance and safety of deep horizontal drillhole repositories; and
• Determine what elements of future site-specific safety analyses cannot be supported by a generic analysis. 

The report does not:

• Make claims to the safety of nuclear waste disposal in any geology besides shale;
• Prove that any site-specific geology with shale formations is a suitable site for a deep horizontal drillhole repository;
• Demonstrate that any other waste besides spent nuclear fuel is suitable for a deep horizontal drillhole in shale formations.

This report, authored by Deep Isolation Hydrogeologist Stefan Finsterle, whom I hold in the highest regard for his scientific integrity, is intended to be built upon and reshaped. As such, we are conducting an independent review open to anyone. The report is available for download and one can submit input through our website. We’re also hosting two sessions of a free technical webinar to discuss the report. The 6 p.m. April 22 session is geared toward our Asia-Pacific audience. The U.S. session will be 10:30 a.m. on May 12, 2020. Please do register.

As the poem excerpt presages, progress depends upon dismissing short-cuts and demands perseverance. We understand that many who’ve been in the struggle to resolve this problem for decades may, like the wife described, feel tired and a bit cranky, but we know there is light on the other side, and the best way out is through.