- Deep Fission has secured a $4 million pre-seed investment to develop underground pressurized water reactors (PWRs) that offer safer, more cost-effective, and sustainable nuclear power generation.
- The company’s novel approach involves placing 15 MWe PWRs one mile underground, leveraging existing technologies to enhance safety and reduce costs by eliminating the need for large pressure vessels and containment structures.
- Supported by 8VC and led by CEO Elizabeth Muller, Deep Fission aims to make nuclear energy a competitive alternative for various applications, contributing to the global clean energy transition.
USA-based nuclear startup Deep Fission makes significant strides in acquired funding through a whopping 4-million dollar pre-seed investment round.
Deep Fission is a company headquartered in Berkeley, California and proposed a novel idea to the world relating to the logistics of nuclear energy generation. For a long time, some central drawbacks of nuclear power were regarding major safety concerns and ultimately, its price tag. Countries frequently look to other electricity sources because of nuclear’s high capital cost and supply chain difficulties accessing High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU). Moreover, power plants above ground are particularly susceptible to accidents and historically, the consequences have been nothing short of catastrophic. There are plenty of organizations and preventative measures in place globally to prevent nuclear accidents from ever occurring again for the sake of humanity.
Deep Fission aims to tackle both these issues and more with their ingenious idea of setting up pressurized water reactors (PWRs) one mile underground. PWRs are a type of nuclear reactor that uses heat, water, steam and a turbine to generate electricity. Heat is thermally sent to a steam generator at depth to get water to a boiling point. Steam then rises to the surface at such a rate that a standard steam turbine can successfully convert this energy into electricity. Deep Fissions’s PWRs would each have an electrical output capacity of 15 Megawatts and be placed within a 30-inch borehole. They would also operate at the same pressure and core temperature as standard PWRs.
The company’s concept of underground PWRs is promising because it leverages existing supply chains and technologies that are comparable to hundreds of licensed and operating nuclear power plants worldwide, only now putting it underground. These natural conditions of pressure and containment of depth can remove the need for large pressure vessels and containment structures. In turn, this would improve safety, sustainability, operational efficiency, and revolutionize the cost of sustainable nuclear power generation.
According to Deep Fission CEO Elizabeth Muller, this groundbreaking approach will help with the world’s clean energy transition demanded by climate change. In order to compete with coal and natural gas, nuclear power must be cheaper, and it is evident Deep Fission’s underground PWR model is a step in the right direction. The ultimate goal is to make atomic energy a viable alternative to power Artificial Intelligence, remote communities and other industrial applications. Deep Fission has shown initiative, already meeting various essential milestones through early and frequent interactions with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Technology and bio-sciences investment firm 8VC was the financial contributor they have high hopes for Deep Fission. 8VC Managing Partner Joe Lonsdale says “With global demands escalating, we need more options. We invested in Deep Fission because they are engineering a way for nuclear power to be exceptionally safe, cost-effective, and reliable – and far enough underground that hopefully neither war nor regulators can turn it off!” Deep Fission says this support will go a long way and accelerate endeavors in hiring, regulatory approval, and the commercialization of its reactor technology.
With its innovative approach to underground PWRs, Deep Fission is poised to revolutionize the nuclear energy industry, offering a safer, more cost-effective, and sustainable solution to the world’s energy challenges. Backed by significant investment and strong industry support, the company is well-positioned to lead the charge in making nuclear power a viable option for the future of clean energy.