- Partnership for Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Management: DeepGeo and Copenhagen Atomics have entered a collaboration to address challenges in managing nuclear waste from Copenhagen Atomics’ developing thorium reactor. The partnership focuses on reprocessing spent nuclear fuel into four waste streams (fuel rod cladding, uranium isotopes, fission products, and transuranics) that can be separately reused, managed, or disposed of.
- Thorium Reactor Innovation: Copenhagen Atomics is developing a 100 MW molten salt thorium reactor, which is compact and can fit in a shipping container. This reactor will use plutonium recovered from spent nuclear fuel to produce significantly more energy—up to 10 times more than from fresh fuel—making it a highly efficient and sustainable solution for nuclear waste management.
- Collaboration on Technical and Logistical Challenges: DeepGeo will handle the logistics of reprocessed fuel, including transportation and disposal, while Copenhagen Atomics will focus on the technical and economic aspects of reprocessing. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear technologies and improve the sustainability of nuclear energy.
DeepGeo, a Rhode Island-based company specializing in the development of nuclear fuel repositories, has entered a partnership with Copenhagen Atomics, a Danish innovator in thorium reactor technology. Together, they will address the challenges of managing nuclear fuels and waste streams from Copenhagen Atomics’ developing thorium reactor.
The non-competitive agreement between DeepGeo and Copenhagen Atomics will focus on understanding the mechanical and economic aspects of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. The goal is to separate the spent fuel into four distinct waste streams: fuel rod cladding (zircaloy), uranium isotopes (U-238, U-235, U-236, U-234), fission products, and transuranics (primarily plutonium). These streams will then be reused, managed, or disposed of separately based on their specific properties.
Copenhagen Atomics is currently developing a 100 MW molten salt thorium reactor, designed to be compact enough to fit within a shipping container. This innovative thorium reactor will utilize plutonium recovered from spent nuclear fuel to initiate its fusion process. According to the company, this reactor will produce up to 10 times more energy from spent fuel than from fresh fuel, making it an efficient and sustainable solution for managing nuclear waste.
As per the signed agreement, DeepGeo will handle the logistics of reprocessed fuel, including the transportation, sale, and disposal of materials derived from spent fuel reprocessing. Meanwhile, Copenhagen Atomics will focus on the technical and economic aspects of reprocessing, including estimating the purity and quantity of the waste streams generated.
The agreement states that the two companies will meet quarterly online and hold one in-person meeting annually to discuss their progress and explore further collaboration opportunities. These meetings will focus on funding projects and sharing knowledge and findings from their research, particularly regarding the reprocessing cycle using molten salt technology.
According to Thomas Jam Pederson, CEO and co-founder of Copenhagen Atomics, this partnership is crucial to the development process of their new molten salt breeder reactor. He states, “This partnership between Copenhagen Atomics and DeepGeo helps enable the conversion of spent nuclear fuel into a valuable resource rather than an expensive liability, which countries and companies have to deal with.”
Link Murray, president of DeepGeo, further adds, “Working together, we can better understand the value of different fuel and waste needs of advanced nuclear reactors, help to accelerate their deployment, and ensure the future sustainability of nuclear energy.”
This partnership represents a significant step toward a more sustainable nuclear future. By leveraging each other’s experience, DeepGeo and Copenhagen Atomics are advancing the development of next-generation nuclear technologies and improving the management of spent fuel.
