Deep Isolation Nuclear Selected for ARPA-E SCALEUP Award to Advance Universal Canister System and Deep Borehole Disposal (Form 8-K)

Deep Isolation Nuclear Selected for ARPA-E SCALEUP Award to Advance Universal Canister System and Deep Borehole Disposal

SCALEUP award supports Cameron, Texas Commercial Pilot to demonstrate and scale permanent nuclear waste solution for commercial deployment

BERKELEY, CA, April 7, 2026 - Deep Isolation Nuclear, Inc. ("Deep Isolation" or the "Company"), a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal technology, today announced it was selected for the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready program, supporting the commercial deployment of its Universal Canister System (UCS) for integrated nuclear waste management. SCALEUP Ready is ARPA-E's latest initiative to accelerate technologies toward market adoption and committed up to $40 million to support two projects, including the Deep Isolation project. Read more: ARPA-E Announcement.

The SCALEUP program bridges the gap between pilot-scale demonstration and full commercial deployment, providing funding and support to validate first-of-a-kind energy technologies. For Deep Isolation, the award would enable full-scale field testing of the UCS, including regulatory validation and demonstration of deep borehole disposal using a nonradioactive Commercial Pilot in Cameron, Texas.

The project brings together a world-class project team, including Westinghouse, NAC International (TYO: 7004), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL), Occlusion Nuclear Solutions, Amentum (NYSE: AMTM), and the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center ("the DBDC"), to demonstrate a fully integrated and permanent solution for advanced reactor and nuclear recycling waste. Westinghouse will serve as the launch customer, working with Deep Isolation and its supply chain partners to secure certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to enable the UCS to store and transport spent fuel from its eVinci™ microreactor. Halliburton will lead borehole construction, Occlusion will manage subsurface operations, NAC will lead UCS fabrication, surface operations, and licensing, and Amentum will oversee operational safety and quality assurance, ensuring the system is ready for commercial deployment.

"Being selected for this award is the single biggest milestone in Deep Isolation's history," said Rod Baltzer, President and CEO at Deep Isolation. "It validates years of pioneering work on the Universal Canister System and positions us to deliver the world's first full-scale, end-to-end, commercial-ready deep borehole disposal solution. We are creating a deployable, regulatory-approved system that will transform how the world manages nuclear waste safely, efficiently, and permanently."

"The integration of UCS with our eVinci™ microreactor technology provides a comprehensive solution for managing spent nuclear fuel through its entire lifecycle," said Dr. Lou Martinez Sancho, Westinghouse Chief Technology Officer. "This partnership showcases the impact of innovation, where we are merging our next-generation nuclear technology with a reliable, economical and adaptable method for handling nuclear waste. The Commercial Pilot will generate valuable insights which will set the stage for wider adoption and global confidence in advanced nuclear solutions."

"Deep boreholes have long been considered a promising solution for spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste disposal. Amentum is excited to work with Deep Isolation and its collaborators to move this concept toward commercialization and turn it into a practical reality." said Mark Whitney, President Energy & Environment at Amentum.

The UCS SCALEUP project advances critical national priorities, supporting Executive Order 14302, which directs the Department of Energy to strengthen U.S. nuclear energy leadership and develop permanent solutions for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. The project directly aligns with ARPA-E's mission to improve radioactive waste management and maintain U.S. technological leadership in advanced energy technologies.

About Deep Isolation

Deep Isolation is the first company to undertake development of technologies for nuclear waste disposal in deep boreholes. When commercialized, Deep Isolation's solution will offer a uniquely tailored approach to help countries identify, plan for, and complete the necessary steps to dispose of their nuclear waste inventories. With 99 patents issued to date, the technology leverages proven drilling practices to safely isolate waste deep underground in horizontal, vertical, or slanted borehole repositories. Deep Isolation's Universal Canister System was developed through a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and is engineered to support integrated management of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste from legacy and advanced reactors across storage, transportation, and eventual disposal.

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