Startup Closes in on Using Fracking Technology to Store Nuclear Waste

A startup named Deep Isolation has raised $33 million to test a novel approach to storing nuclear waste. The company aims to use fracking technology to create horizontal wells deep underground, where nuclear waste can be securely stored. The funding will allow Deep Isolation to conduct a crucial field test of its system, which the company believes could provide a safer and more cost-effective solution than traditional nuclear waste storage methods. The startup's technology involves drilling into stable geological formations and then creating horizontal tunnels where the radioactive material can be deposited. If successful, Deep Isolation's approach could help address the long-standing challenge of safely disposing of nuclear waste, which remains radioactive for thousands of years. The company's technology could potentially be deployed in regions with suitable geological conditions, providing an alternative to the construction of expensive, dedicated nuclear waste repositories. The $33 million investment highlights the growing interest in innovative solutions to the nuclear waste problem, as the industry seeks to find more sustainable and environmentally responsible ways to manage its radioactive byproducts.