UPWARDS: Universal Performance Criteria and Canister for Advanced Reactor Waste Form Acceptance in Borehole and Mined Repository Design Safety

Advanced nuclear reactors can provide dispatchable, zero-carbon energy to address the global challenge of climate change, but their adoption is hindered by the historical lack of an integrated waste management system. An ongoing concern of the advanced nuclear industry is that development of novel closed fuel cycles without standardization will lead to diverse recycling and disposal requirements and challenges. To support cost-effective nuclear waste disposal options and provide flexibility for a broad range of advanced fuel forms and recycling products, a universal canister design compatible with mined and borehole repositories is desirable. In this project we propose to map several of the existing and emerging waste forms in the advanced nuclear space against a matrix of geologic disposal options including mined as well as vertical and horizontal boreholes repositories. We also seek to identify the key factors relevant to the long-term safety case across a spectrum of novel waste forms and address cost and implementation advantages and challenges for a universal canister option.