The SCALEUP program bridges the gap between pilot-scale demonstration and full commercial deployment.
The world’s first commercial-ready deep borehole nuclear waste disposal solution is inching closer to reality. A Washington-based company has been selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready program.
SCALEUP award supports Cameron, Texas Commercial Pilot to demonstrate and scale permanent nuclear waste solution for commercial deployment.
Deep Isolation Nuclear has been selected for SCALEUP Ready, which is ARPA-E’s latest initiative to accelerate technologies toward market adoption and committed up to $40 million to support two projects, including the Deep Isolation project.
Single biggest milestone in Deep Isolation’s history
“Being selected for this award is the single biggest milestone in Deep Isolation’s history,” said Rod Baltzer, President and CEO at Deep Isolation.
“It validates years of pioneering work on the Universal Canister System and positions us to deliver the world’s first full-scale, end-to-end, commercial-ready deep borehole disposal solution. We are creating a deployable, regulatory-approved system that will transform how the world manages nuclear waste safely, efficiently, and permanently.”
Pilot-scale demonstration and full commercial deployment
The SCALEUP program bridges the gap between pilot-scale demonstration and full commercial deployment, providing funding and support to validate first-of-a-kind energy technologies. For Deep Isolation, the award would enable full-scale field testing of the UCS, including regulatory validation and demonstration of deep borehole disposal using a nonradioactive Commercial Pilot in Cameron, Texas, according to a press release.
The project brings together a world-class project team, including Westinghouse, NAC International, and the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center (“the DBDC”), to demonstrate a fully integrated and permanent solution for advanced reactor and nuclear recycling waste.
Westinghouse will serve as the launch customer, working with Deep Isolation and its supply chain partners to secure certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to enable the UCS to store and transport spent fuel from its eVinci microreactor, as per the release.
eVinci microreactor provides comprehensive solution for managing spent nuclear fuel
“The integration of UCS with our eVinci microreactor technology provides a comprehensive solution for managing spent nuclear fuel through its entire lifecycle,” said Dr. Lou Martinez Sancho, Westinghouse Chief Technology Officer.
“This partnership showcases the impact of innovation, where we are merging our next-generation nuclear technology with a reliable, economical and adaptable method for handling nuclear waste. The Commercial Pilot will generate valuable insights which will set the stage for wider adoption and global confidence in advanced nuclear solutions.”
It’s also revealed that Halliburton will lead borehole construction, Occlusion will manage subsurface operations, NAC will lead UCS fabrication, surface operations, and licensing, and Amentum will oversee operational safety and quality assurance, ensuring the system is ready for commercial deployment.
“Deep boreholes have long been considered a promising solution for spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste disposal,” said Mark Whitney, President Energy & Environment at Amentum.
“Amentum is excited to work with Deep Isolation and its collaborators to move this concept toward commercialization and turn it into a practical reality.”
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Prabhat, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, is a tech and defense journalist. While he enjoys writing on modern weapons and emerging tech, he has also reported on global politics and business. He has been previously associated with well-known media houses, including the International Business Times (Singapore Edition) and ANI.