Lack of safe, permanent waste solution remains one of top concerns about nuclear power
Nuclear waste disposal technology company Deep Isolation has called on 11 “first mover” US states to work with communities to accelerate innovative disposal technologies, launch near-term demonstrations and mobilise private investment in a bid to find a safe, permanent waste solution for the nation’s growing stockpile of spent nuclear fuel.
The US-based company said the 11 states are collaborating to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear power through an “integrated orderbook” supported by collaboration on financing, siting, workforce and supply chains.
The National Association of State Energy Officials’ (NASEO) recently launched a consultation on what it called its “advanced nuclear first movers orderbook strategy”.
Bu Deep Isolation noted that the strategy makes no mention of the spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste that will result from the deployment of new reactors. It said the lack of a safe, permanent waste solution remains one of Americans’ top concerns about nuclear power.
Deep Isolation’s response to the consultation sets out how this “missing piece” of the strategy can be filled.
The company’s submission urges the 11 states join the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center in Texas where Deep Isolation will deliver the world’s first full-scale non-radioactive deep borehole disposal pilot project with initial canister emplacement targeted for 2027.
It also calls on the states to support early borehole demonstrations and advocate in Congress for legislative reforms that unlock innovation and public-private partnerships.
“We see a missing piece in this orderbook strategy – the absence of nuclear waste disposal,” said Deep Isolation chief executive officer Rod Baltzer.
“By embedding disposal into their orderbook strategy, first mover states can reduce financial risk, increase investor confidence, and build public trust that advanced nuclear comes with a complete lifecycle solution.”
The NASEO advanced nuclear first mover initiative is led by state co-chairs New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Wyoming, and the participating states Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Its aim is to with the private sector, the DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to accelerate advanced nuclear projects.
A cornerstone of the initiative is forming public-private partnerships through the engagement of utilities, nuclear technology companies, manufacturers and other major end-users, developers, investors and educational institutions.
Background: Growing Stockpiles And No Progress At Yucca
According to the US Nuclear Industry Council, the US has accumulated around 92,500 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel, growing by 2,000 tonnes annually. This waste is stored at over 70 sites across 35 states, in temporary facilities not designed for permanent, long-term containment – an estimated liability for US taxpayers of well over $150bn (€129bn) that is increasing significantly every year.
Plans for a permanent deep geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain, northwest of Las Vegas, have stalled because of opposition from most Nevada residents and officials.
Deep Isolation’s borehole disposal technology isolates waste deep underground in borehole repositories. The company says its universal canister system is engineered to support the management of spent fuel and high-level waste from advanced reactors across storage, transportation and eventual disposal.
