Members of the UPWARDS technical advisory committee stand in front of a prototype universal canister system. (Photo: Deep Isolation)
Deep Isolation announced that it hosted its third technical workshop for the UPWARDS project, a Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) initiative aimed at developing a universal canister system (UCS) for the disposal of radioactive waste streams from advanced reactors. The workshop, held at R-V Industries in Honey Brook, Pa., focused on the large-scale manufacturing and commercialization of the UCS.
Members of the project’s technical advisory committee attended the workshop, touring R-V Industries’ facility and observing the UCS prototype canister in its final stages of fabrication. The committee includes representatives from across the nuclear industry who are providing ongoing technical and strategic guidance for the project.
Manufacturing and engineering company R-V Industries has been instrumental in the fabrication and development of the canister, according to Deep Isolation.
The project: In 2022, Deep Isolation was awarded a $3.6 million ARPA-E grant to lead the UPWARDS project in collaboration with partners NAC International, University of California–Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The project is funded through ARPA-E’s Optimizing Nuclear Waste and Advanced Reactor Disposal Systems (ONWARDS) program, which was created to address both open (once-through) and closed (reprocessing) fuel cycles to reduce the amount of waste produced from advanced reactors as compared to light water reactors.
According to Deep Isolation, the canister system is a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated waste management system designed to safely store, transport, and dispose of advanced reactor waste. The system is designed to be compatible with waste acceptance criteria for both mined and borehole repositories to support cost-effective nuclear waste disposal options and provide flexibility for a broad range of advanced fuel forms and recycling products.
They said it: “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,” said Rod McCullum, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s senior director of decommissioning and used fuel and a member of the UPWARDS technical advisory committee.
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.”
