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Released February 18, 2025 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Construction is underway for a final repository for used nuclear fuel in Forsmark, Sweden.
The facility, located in the municipality of Östhammar, roughly 150 kilometers (KM) from the capital city of Stockholm, has spent 14 years in the planning process and will be constructed by radioactive waste management company Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management (SKB). Located adjacent to the Forsmark nuclear power plant, it will take 10 years to construct before the first fuel is stored and it will be gradually extended over a long period, into the 2080s. The first two years will focus on preparatory work above ground across a large 60-acre site, including the construction of a rock mass storage and water treatment plant, a bridge over the cooling water canal and forest clearing. After that, work will focus on boring down into the bedrock with the final repository sitting at a depth of roughly 500 meters in rock that is 1.9 billion years old. It will hold approximately 12,000 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel, contained in 6,000 canisters that weigh 25 tonnes each and are five meters long. When fully extended, the repository will contain more than 60 km of tunnels. SKB is also overseeing expansion projects at a number of smaller, existing repositories at Forsmark and Oskarshamn.
"It is hard to exaggerate the significance for Sweden and for the climate transition of the fact that the building of the final repository is underway," said Sweden's Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari at the ceremony for the start of construction. "They said it wouldn't work, but it does." Stefan Engdahl, chief executive officer of SKB, added: "This is a historic day for the Swedish nuclear waste programme. We're taking an important step and breaking the ground for a final solution for spent nuclear fuel. This sees us creating good conditions for continued fossil-free electricity production." The facility's permit will allow it to deal with radioactive waste from the country's existing 12 reactors--six of which are still operating--but does not apply to waste from a possible new nuclear power programme. In 2022, Industrial Info reported that the new government wanted to expand nuclear energy and tasked state-owned energy major Vattenfall (Stockholm) to look into the possibility of building new reactors as well as restarting older ones at the Ringhals power plant. The country generates almost 166 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually, most from hydropower (40%), followed by nuclear (29%), wind (20.5%), biofuels (5%) and solar (2%). For additional information, see November 1, 2022, article--Sweden Wants New Nuclear Power.
Industrial Info is tracking preliminary plans by Vattenfall to build two small modular reactors adjacent to Ringhals with a capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) each. Last summer, the company shortlisted designs by the U.K.'s Rolls-Royce (London, England) and the U.S. firm GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International (Wilmington, North Carolina) from a long-list of six. For additional information, see June 24, 2024, article--Vattenfall Picks Mini Nuclear Designs for Ringhals Plant.
Neighbouring Finland began construction of the world's first final repository for used nuclear fuel in 2021 near the Olkiluoto nuclear power complex. Like the Forsmark facility in Sweden, the Onkalo facility will be dug deep into similar bedrock. Spent nuclear fuel will be placed in the bedrock, at a depth of approximately 430 meters, inside canisters made of copper and cast iron. The project is being overseen by Posiva Oy (Eurajoki, Finland), the country's nuclear waste management company. Onkalo will contain about 50 km of tunnels when fully extended and will house 6,500 tonnes of spent fuel in 3,250 canisters.
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, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
The facility, located in the municipality of Östhammar, roughly 150 kilometers (KM) from the capital city of Stockholm, has spent 14 years in the planning process and will be constructed by radioactive waste management company Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management (SKB). Located adjacent to the Forsmark nuclear power plant, it will take 10 years to construct before the first fuel is stored and it will be gradually extended over a long period, into the 2080s. The first two years will focus on preparatory work above ground across a large 60-acre site, including the construction of a rock mass storage and water treatment plant, a bridge over the cooling water canal and forest clearing. After that, work will focus on boring down into the bedrock with the final repository sitting at a depth of roughly 500 meters in rock that is 1.9 billion years old. It will hold approximately 12,000 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel, contained in 6,000 canisters that weigh 25 tonnes each and are five meters long. When fully extended, the repository will contain more than 60 km of tunnels. SKB is also overseeing expansion projects at a number of smaller, existing repositories at Forsmark and Oskarshamn.
"It is hard to exaggerate the significance for Sweden and for the climate transition of the fact that the building of the final repository is underway," said Sweden's Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari at the ceremony for the start of construction. "They said it wouldn't work, but it does." Stefan Engdahl, chief executive officer of SKB, added: "This is a historic day for the Swedish nuclear waste programme. We're taking an important step and breaking the ground for a final solution for spent nuclear fuel. This sees us creating good conditions for continued fossil-free electricity production." The facility's permit will allow it to deal with radioactive waste from the country's existing 12 reactors--six of which are still operating--but does not apply to waste from a possible new nuclear power programme. In 2022, Industrial Info reported that the new government wanted to expand nuclear energy and tasked state-owned energy major Vattenfall (Stockholm) to look into the possibility of building new reactors as well as restarting older ones at the Ringhals power plant. The country generates almost 166 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually, most from hydropower (40%), followed by nuclear (29%), wind (20.5%), biofuels (5%) and solar (2%). For additional information, see November 1, 2022, article--Sweden Wants New Nuclear Power.
Industrial Info is tracking preliminary plans by Vattenfall to build two small modular reactors adjacent to Ringhals with a capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) each. Last summer, the company shortlisted designs by the U.K.'s Rolls-Royce (London, England) and the U.S. firm GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International (Wilmington, North Carolina) from a long-list of six. For additional information, see June 24, 2024, article--Vattenfall Picks Mini Nuclear Designs for Ringhals Plant.
Neighbouring Finland began construction of the world's first final repository for used nuclear fuel in 2021 near the Olkiluoto nuclear power complex. Like the Forsmark facility in Sweden, the Onkalo facility will be dug deep into similar bedrock. Spent nuclear fuel will be placed in the bedrock, at a depth of approximately 430 meters, inside canisters made of copper and cast iron. The project is being overseen by Posiva Oy (Eurajoki, Finland), the country's nuclear waste management company. Onkalo will contain about 50 km of tunnels when fully extended and will house 6,500 tonnes of spent fuel in 3,250 canisters.
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, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
