Deep Fission, Deep Isolation to collaborate on SNF management

Deep Fission is currently engaged with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in preapplication activities for licensing its Deep Fission Borehole Reactor 1 design, a small modular reactor designed to be situated a mile underground in a 30-inch diameter borehole. Deep Isolation, meanwhile, is leveraging directional drilling technology as a means of disposing of nuclear waste in deep boreholes.

Both companies were cofounded by Richard Muller and his daughter Elizabeth Muller. Richard is the current chief technology officer, and Elizabeth is the current chief executive officer of Deep Fission. Elizabeth is the former CEO of Deep Isolation and continues to serve as executive chair of the company.

The details: Under the MOU, the two companies will explore the potential licensing and use of Deep Isolation’s patented disposal technology for managing spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste from Deep Fission’s underground reactors. According to the companies, the agreement marks a shared commitment to ensuring a comprehensive approach to the full nuclear fuel cycle, enabling Deep Fission to offer an end-to-end solution that includes both energy generation and long-term waste management.

Deep Fission maintains that integrating Deep Isolation’s deep borehole repository technology into its operations will provide international partners with a seamless, long-term waste solution. For U.S. partners, where the geologic disposal of spent fuel is still under consideration, the agreement provides a storage option while efforts toward a long-term repository continue, the companies said.

They said it: “Nuclear power generation requires a waste disposal solution, and responsible users should plan for waste management from the start,” said Elizabeth Muller. “Deep Isolation’s solution presents an attractive option for Deep Fission as we work toward a sustainable nuclear future.”

“As new nuclear technologies emerge, a forward-thinking approach to waste disposal is critical,” said Rod Baltzer, CEO of Deep Isolation. “Ensuring that nuclear waste has a reliable and permanent disposal method is essential for the industry’s long-term success.”