Deep Isolation, a leading innovator in used nuclear fuel (UNF) and high-level waste (HLW) storage and disposal solutions, on 11 November signed a cooperative agreement with NAC International (NAC), a nuclear fuel cycle consulting and technology solutions company specialising in casks and canister systems for nuclear materials transport and spent fuel storage and disposal.

Deep Isolation and NAC will cooperate in the design, development, and manufacturing of Deep Isolation’s SNF and HLW disposal canister technology. Leveraging NAC’s dry fuel storage technologies, the two companies will collaborate to advance the technical aspects of Deep Isolation’s current solution design for canister storage, disposal, and equipment for the transfer of SNF and HLW from existing storage areas to a Deep Isolation repository.

With over 20 years of decommissioning spent fuel management experience, NAC has supplied a large share of the used fuel systems at decommissioning US utility sites. As a contractor for the Department of Energy (DOE), NAC has developed and deployed transportable storage systems at DOE sites and has packaged and transported fuel worldwide. NAC has completed projects in more than 60 countries and  is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Zosen Corporation.

Deep Isolation has developed a patented solution using directional drilling and inclusive community engagement to safely isolate waste deep underground. This is the second strategic partnership the company has made in recent months. Earlier in 2019, it announced a cooperative agreement with Bechtel National, part of the largest engineering and construction company in the USA to support its sales and engineering capabilities as well as the capacity to deliver its solution globally.