Disposing of nuclear waste is currently owned and managed by governments and state-run utilities around the world, yet nuclear-spent fuel has yet to be disposed of. This waste currently sits in pools and dry casks above ground waiting for an operational repository. As a private, small-business startup, Deep Isolation has created a new approach to disposing of radioactive waste. Our approach not only leverages proven technology applied in a new way but establishes a market through a public-private partnership with governments looking for permanent solutions to dispose of waste.
This presentation will describe the innovative application of directional drilling to create horizontal drillholes deep underground just large enough to store or dispose of fuel assemblies encased in highly corrosion-resistant canisters. Furthermore, it will address the benefits from having private companies enter the nuclear waste industry as well as the challenges Deep Isolation faced and overcame to bring this much-needed solution in a highly-regulated and at times, stagnant environment.
