The Department of Energy issued a new request for proposals (RFP) Monday for its deep borehole field test for nuclear waste storage, which will require that contractors secure local support before the drilling contract is awarded.
DOE began drawing up a new RFP in July after original prime contractor Battelle Memorial Institute over several months failed to secure two separate sites in Pierce County, N.D., and Spink County, S.D., for the estimated $35 million, five-year project. The borehole plsn drew severe backlash from locals in both states who shared concerns that a successful field test would lead to actual nuclear waste storage in their areas.
The Obama administration is exploring the borehole storage method — which would involve burying spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in crystalline rock formations — as one potential alternative to the canceled nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
The new solicitation will include pre- and post-award requirements for the contractor to reach out to governments and stakeholders in local, state, and tribal jurisdictions. DOE has laid out the project in five phases: (1) secure a site, while engaging the public, (2) complete all regulatory approvals, (3) propose a final drilling and test plan, (4) drill and close out the site, and (5) manage and maintain the site. The department is likely to award multiple contracts for the work involved in phases 1-2, and possibly 3, before narrowing the field for a single drilling contract, allowing the department to assess the feasibility of multiple locations, according to the RFP.
The project would involve drilling an 8.5-inch-diameter characteristic borehole 3 miles deep in the ground to test the feasibility of the rock formation and surrounding site. The Department of Energy would then decide whether to drill a 17-inch-diameter field test borehole for the surrogate container, which would not contain nuclear waste. DOE’s anticipated start date for phase 1 is January 2017, about four months later than Battelle had planned to break ground.
Battelle spokesman T.R. Massey said by email Tuesday that the company is reviewing the RFP. Given Battelle’s history on the project, he said, the company is “obviously interested.” DOE has set an Oct. 21 deadline for proposals, with RFP materials available here.
