Sixty-nine years ago something happened in a small desert town that changed the course of history. Dec. 20 will mark the anniversary of the day that the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I became the first power plant to produce usable electricity through atomic fission.  

The illumination of just four lightbulbs at the plant, a humble but significant start, eventually led to a reactor capable of powering the whole facility.

This monumental innovation was a pioneer in providing the world with a reliable source of carbon-neutral power long before anyone would realize how important that would become. But there was a critical flaw: There was no means for permanent waste disposal factored into the production of nuclear energy.

It’s inspiring to see how innovation starts. From four lightbulbs in an Idaho desert, nuclear energy is a reliable power source that today provides 10 percent of the world’s power and is among the top sources of low-carbon energy. 

But seven decades later, the waste issue remains unresolved. There are 490,000 metric tons of radioactive spent fuel temporarily stored in pools and dry casks worldwide.

The reasons for this failure are myriad, but fundamentally the mined repository approach has been both expensive and unpopular. Because it is so expensive, there can typically be only one repository for a country, which means asking one community to carry the burden, leading to “not in my backyard” concerns. Specific failures have been because of an inability to achieve community consent, concerns over transportation, lack of trust in government, lack of political will, and poor communication.  When there has been progress it is typically measured in decades, or even generations. In the United States it has been very much one step forward, two steps back. And the result is that there is no working repository for high level nuclear waste or spent nuclear fuel anywhere in the world.

But the world has changed since the 1950s. Innovation has achieved technical miracles once thought impossible that leave our world vastly improved in so many ways. At Deep Isolation this spirit of innovation is at the heart of what we do and what we believe can address nuclear waste too. 

I recently blogged about how Deep Isolation’s successful $20 million Series A raise shows that socially responsible investors are willing to support a cleantech startup with a nuclear waste disposal solution. We’re thankful for this. The world needs cleantech investors who are willing to be inclusive of all technologies that work together to contribute to a carbon-neutral future. 

This means investing in advancements that complete the full fuel cycle rather than leaving waste sitting in indefinite storage. This also paves the way for a waste solution for the advanced nuclear power plants of the future.

Rod McCullum of the Nuclear Energy Institute was refreshingly candid when he said in a podcast interview: “To move the next generation of nuclear reactors forward, the industry needs to be able to tell investors and the government that we have a solution to the waste.”

This is where social responsibility comes into play. No matter whether you believe nuclear plays a role in slowing climate change or not, it’s a fact that the moment those first lightbulbs flickered to life in an Idaho desert a waste burden was conceived and left for future generations to bear.

Let’s be the generation to resolve this once and for all. The results will help make our world a better place.

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.