Deep Fission, Deep Isolation ink MoU

Monday, 7 April 2025

The partnership aims to enable Deep Fission to offer an end-to-end solution that includes both energy generation and long-term waste management, the companies said.

Deep Fission will integrate Deep Isolation's deep borehole repository technology into its operations, providing a "seamless, long-term waste solution", they added. For the USA, it also provides a "promising storage option while efforts toward a long-term repository continue".

"Nuclear power generation requires a waste disposal solution, and responsible users should plan for waste management from the start," said Deep Fission co-founder and CEO Elizabeth Muller, who is also the co-founder, former CEO and current chairman of Deep Isolation. "Deep geological disposal is the globally preferred approach, and while other countries are advancing underground repositories, there is an opportunity for the US to take further steps in this direction. Deep Isolation's solution presents an attractive option for Deep Fission as we work toward a sustainable nuclear future."

California-based nuclear startup company Deep Fission announced its emergence from stealth mode last August. It aims to locate 15 MWe pressurised water reactors (PWRs) about one mile (1.6 km) underground in a 30-inch borehole. The heat is transferred to a steam generator at depth to boil water, and the non-radioactive steam rises rapidly to the surface where a standard steam turbine converts the energy to its electricity. The company envisages deploying the reactors in scalable arrays, allowing customers to order multiple reactors in discreet bespoke configurations to meet diverse end-user needs.

Deep Isolation is working to leverage proven drilling practices to manage nuclear fuel and radioactive waste by encapsulating it in corrosion-resistant canisters placed within deep boreholes in suitable isolated rock formations, some 1-3 kilometres below ground. The California-based company has some 70 patents issued to date. Earlier this year, it announced the manufacture of a first-of-its-kind disposal canister prototype in a collaboration with the UK Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, NAC International, Inc, and the University of Sheffield.

"Deep Isolation is proud to partner with Deep Fission to deliver a practical, scalable solution for managing nuclear waste," said Deep Isolation CEO Rod Baltzer. "As new nuclear technologies emerge, a forward-thinking approach to waste disposal is critical. Ensuring that nuclear waste has a reliable and permanent disposal method is essential for the industry's long-term success."