Deep Fission and Deep Isolation sign MoU on nuclear waste storage

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Deep Fission and Deep Isolation. The former is a US small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) start-up, and its Deep Fission Borehole Reactor 1 (DFBR-1) is a pressurised water reactor designed to be deployed approximately 1.6 km underground in a borehole less than one metre wide, using geological strata for natural pressurisation and containment. The latter is a nuclear waste disposal technology company that uses directional drilling to safely store waste underground. Under the terms of the MoU, the two companies will work together to explore the possibility of using Deep Isolation’s technology to store the radioactive waste produced by Deep Fission’s reactors. Deep Isolation’s technology hasn’t been deployed yet, but if it receives regulatory approval in the US, it could be ready for deployment within two to three years.