SAVANT: Sequential Advancement of Technology for Deep Borehole Disposal

This project supports the ARPA-E Mission Area of “improving management, clean-up and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel”. A series of tests and demonstrations for deep borehole disposal canisters at the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center in Cameron, Texas - coupled with development of a US supply chain and global tech-to-market partnerships - will mature the canister to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6. The canister designs tested will provide a safe disposal option for all high-heat generating wastes currently in storage around the world and also – if the aspirations of the existing ARPA-E ‘ONWARDS’ project to develop a universal canister system are successful – for a wide range (and potentially all) of the spent fuels from the major US advanced nuclear reactors currently in development. By maturing canister technology to TRL 6, the project resolves one of the principal maturity gaps in deep borehole disposal as a total system. It thus supports deep borehole disposal in moving from the Conceptual Design stage to the Licensing Design stage, and will catalyze an international, public-private-partnership to demonstrate the whole system on an end-to-end basis.