An innovative cost saving solution for 100 years of nuclear waste containment

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**Vision:** A containment solution for domestic and international nuclear waste management and decommissioning markets, specifically targeting unshielded legacy and new build waste streams. This represents a stable market opportunity, with a waste management strategy being developed for 100 years for the UK.Nuclear energy provides reliable low carbon power for the UK as we move towards Net-Zero targets. However, we need to secure a cost effective, safe, and responsible means of waste collection and storage from operation, through to a power plant's end of life, and beyond.**Approach and Innovation:** A 2017 Sellafield Game Changers collaboration between Eadon Consulting (Eadon) and Arc Energy Resources (Arc) conceived an innovative nuclear waste container unlike any in operation; a simple to manufacture cylinder with a unique and easy to operate closing mechanism that leverages design for manufacture principles for commercial innovation. This resulted in: formation of a joint venture, Capsa Solutions; patent protection; registered design; and concept launch at the Integrated Waste Management conference. Together with the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC), and subcontractors Hydrock and Radioactive Waste Management, Smart Grants investment will catalyse regulatory approval towards commercialisation.**Key objectives:**Alongside an advisory group representing key customers, Sellafield, EDF Energy and regulator, Radioactive Waste Management, by project end we will have:* optimised container design,* conducted manufacturing trials with production costing, and* gained a conceptual letter of compliance towards commercialisation at TRL4\.**Impact:** The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estimates ~£120billion UK decommissioning costs over the next 100 years. The Inventory for Geological Disposal estimates 744,000m3 of UK packaged waste from 2015 to 2140\. Our container targets 47% of the total projected waste volume. We predict we can reduce the cost of manufacture, resulting in a saving of £99million through to 2120 (50% market share). A saving related to production cost only, we see further cost savings related to optimisation of the design to better fit the waste management lifecycle including increased storage efficiency, and logistical improvements related to waste container movement and transportation. The project will support two UK based SMEs to commercialise and profit from their design, contributing to the UK Industrial Strategy goal to increase the UK's competitiveness in product design and manufacture. This includes a significant global opportunity where decommissioning Europe's reactors alone generates another 1.4million m3 of low and intermediate level waste (World Nuclear Waste Report 2019, Focus Europe) that we can target through direct exports or licensing.