World's First Final Storage Facility for Nuclear Waste Advances

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

Summary

Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) has reported that the safety requirements for the world's first used nuclear fuel repository in Finland have been met.

The world's first used nuclear fuel repository in Finland looks likely to receive its permit to start operations following a positive safety recommendation from the country's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK).

Reporting to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, STUK said that the safety requirements required for granting the operating licence for the Olkiluoto facility "are met", adding that it is the first time in the world that the geological final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel has progressed to the operating licence phase. Developer Posiva Oy is currently applying for an operating licence until the end of 2070. STUK stated that there "is no obstacle to granting the facility an operating licence with regard to radiation and nuclear safety". According to Industrial Info Resources data, there is one key project worth more than US$560 million in investment. 

Positive Outcome

"This is a significant step in the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel that has been prepared for more than 40 years, said Petteri Tiippana, STUK's director general. "STUK has been assessing and overseeing the safety of final disposal over several decades. Based on the overall assessment we have now made, we can conclude that the safety requirements for granting the operating permit are met." 

The Project

The Onkalo final disposal facility, located near the Olkiluoto nuclear power complex, consists of an above-ground encapsulation plant and an underground final disposal facility deep in the bedrock. Onkalo will contain about 50 kilometers (km) of tunnels when fully extended and will house 6,500 tonnes of spent fuel in 3,250 canisters.

Spent nuclear fuel is transported to the encapsulation facility in a transfer or transport cask. Before encapsulation, the fuel has been stored in water pools in interim storage facilities for spent fuel at the nuclear power plants for about 20--50 years. The spent nuclear fuel is dried and packed into tightly sealed copper canisters before being moved into an underground final disposal facility, where the canisters are placed in final disposal holes drilled in the rock at a depth of about 430 meters. A bentonite buffer is installed around the canisters, and the tunnels are filled using expansive clay material. The long-term safety of final disposal is based on several mutually supplementary barriers: the disposal canister, the surrounding bentonite, the tunnel backfill and plug, as well as the surrounding bedrock.

The Nuclear Waste Issue

Posiva's President and Chief Executive Officer Ilkka Poikolainen welcomed the conclusion of STUK's safety assessment. "The safe final disposal of spent nuclear fuel has been a key challenge ever since nuclear power began to be used for electricity generation in the 1950s. Now the solution is closer to implementation than ever before. Posiva's task is to ensure that the current generation takes responsibility for its own spent nuclear fuel. Final disposal provides a long-term and safe solution for this. Our ambitious goal is to achieve operational readiness for the start of final disposal by the end of 2026."

Key Takeaways

• Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) has given a positive safety report for the world's first permanent used nuclear fuel repository in Finland.
• Onkalo will contain about 50 kilometers (km) of tunnels when fully extended and will house 6,500 tonnes of spent fuel in 3,250 canisters.
• Developer Posiva Oy is hoping the government will grant the final operational licence before the end of this year. 

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).