Universal Canister for Waste from Advanced Nuclear Reactors Developed in the United States
Deep Isolation specializing in nuclear waste disposal technologies, has announced the completion of a three-year UPWARDS project. The project was launched to advance the development of a first-of-a-kind integrated waste management system for advanced reactors.
The UPWARDS Project envisaged the manufacture, testing and validation of a Universal Canister System (UCS) for used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from advanced reactors.
The canisters are capable of storing, transporting, and disposing of waste from advanced nuclear reactors and are designed to accommodate various waste types, including vitrified waste from reprocessing, TRISO spent fuel, and halide salts from molten salt reactors. They are compatible with modern dry storage and transport infrastructure, and meet performance and safety requirements across both borehole and mined repository options.
According to Deep Isolation, non-radioactive testing of the canisters confirmed their mechanical integrity and operational viability under simulated real-world geological conditions.
Completion of the UPWARDS Project marks an important milestone in Deep Isolation’s roadmap toward full-scale demonstration and eventual use for spent nuclear fuel disposal. The results provide a strong technical foundation expected to support future licensing, pilot deployment, and commercialization of UCS.