U.S.-based Deep Isolation, in partnership with Tulsa-based Occlusion Nuclear Solutions, has launched a multi-year, full-scale, at-depth, deep borehole nuclear waste storage and disposal demonstration program.

A Texas drilling permit clears the way for a full-scale test of deep borehole technology designed for nuclear waste disposal.

The nuclear sector has benefited greatly from the integration of technology into it, which has opened the door for companies to experiment and execute the most sophisticated initiatives.

In less than three months, the U.S. Department of Energy may select Oklahoma as one of three states to host a “nuclear lifecycle innovation campus,” an initiative state lawmakers began vying for as early as May 2025.

On September 22, Deep Isolation shared the results of a three-year project examining deep borehole disposal of waste produced by recycling spent fuel. The results could have bearing on plans proposed for managing the nation’s nuclear waste, including the DOE’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (NLIC) program.

The results confirmed that deep borehole repositories provide a safe and highly economical option for permanently disposing of nuclear recycling waste.

The US could quadruple its nuclear generating capacity by 2050. The US aims to add 300 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by 2050 and develop a nuclear fuel recycling strategy that could slash radioactive waste storage from thousands of years to just hundreds. The country currently operates 94 light-water reactors, which supply roughly 20 percent of its electricity and around 100 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity. Meeting its 2050 target would significantly expand the nation’s existing nuclear fleet.

Collaboration, partnership and innovation have long been hallmarks of the nuclear energy community. For decades, scientists and engineers have worked together to develop, test and demonstrate technologies that strengthen nuclear energy as a reliable and abundant source of power. Today, that foundation of research and expertise is helping U.S. industry move promising nuclear technologies from concept to commercial deployment.

Two University of South Carolina faculty were recently awarded significant grants as part of the first wave projects selected for the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission. Designed to bring together a national consortium of researchers and pair them with Department of Energy resources, the Genesis Mission will help build AI-enabled workflows to expediate discoveries in energy, national security and more.

Deep Isolation Nuclear has devised a novel way to store the nuclear waste underground by using mostly standard oil and gas equipment.