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.
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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.
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.
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