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Released May 17, 2021 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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GALWAY, IRELAND--May 17, 2021--Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Excavation has started on the world's first underground repository for spent nuclear fuel near the Olkiluoto nuclear power complex in Finland.
This is a major step forward for the Finnish nuclear industry, which has been examining methods of disposing of its used nuclear fuel since 1983 as Finland does not permit the import or export of nuclear waste. There is currently no method for processing spent nuclear fuel that would eliminate all radioactive, long-term waste. Storing it deep in bedrock is considered to be the longest-lasting and safest solution to the problem of nuclear waste, according to Finnish authorities.
The 507 million-euro (US$617 million) project, known as Onkalo, is being overseen by Posiva Oy (Eurajoki, Finland), the country's nuclear waste management company, which said that the first five tunnels to be excavated during the next 18 months "mark the beginning of an extensive building effort." Spent nuclear fuel will be placed in the bedrock, at a depth of approximately 430 metres, inside canisters made of copper and cast iron. Canister lids will be sealed by friction stir welding, "creating a tight and durable seam," Posiva said, which will be checked by ultrasonic tests before storage.
"The years of research and development of rock construction that have produced procedures for construction of a nuclear facility suited for the Finnish bedrock culminate in this moment," said Posiva's construction manager, Juha Riihimäki. "The development of the methodology started with the construction of the Onkalo facility in 2004."
It is estimated that 100 deposition tunnels will be excavated during the 100-year operational period of the final disposal facility, totalling a length of about 35 kilometres (km). The maximum length of each tunnel will be 350 metres, and each will measure about 4.5 metres high and about 3.5 metres wide. Commissioning is expected to start in 2025.
Riihimäki explained: "About 30 canisters will be placed in each tunnel. The number depends on how many deposition holes there are in the tunnel and that is determined by the volume of suitable rock based on the rock fractures. The 30 canisters can accommodate about 65 tons of spent nuclear fuel."
Finland's neighbour, Sweden, is working on its own deep bedrock repository near the Forsmark nuclear power plant in Söderviken. However, despite being much larger it is a long way behind the Finnish project. It secured local support toward the end of last year, but it is still awaiting final permission from Sweden's government. Industrial Info is tracking the planned Spent Fuel Repository where the developer, SKB, aims to construct a 5-kilometre ramp that descends to a depth of about 500 metres where a system of tunnels will then be constructed in the bedrock. The first phase will take about 10 years to construct. For additional information, see January 30, 2018, article - Nuclear Repository in Sweden Moves Closer.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn.
This is a major step forward for the Finnish nuclear industry, which has been examining methods of disposing of its used nuclear fuel since 1983 as Finland does not permit the import or export of nuclear waste. There is currently no method for processing spent nuclear fuel that would eliminate all radioactive, long-term waste. Storing it deep in bedrock is considered to be the longest-lasting and safest solution to the problem of nuclear waste, according to Finnish authorities.
The 507 million-euro (US$617 million) project, known as Onkalo, is being overseen by Posiva Oy (Eurajoki, Finland), the country's nuclear waste management company, which said that the first five tunnels to be excavated during the next 18 months "mark the beginning of an extensive building effort." Spent nuclear fuel will be placed in the bedrock, at a depth of approximately 430 metres, inside canisters made of copper and cast iron. Canister lids will be sealed by friction stir welding, "creating a tight and durable seam," Posiva said, which will be checked by ultrasonic tests before storage.
"The years of research and development of rock construction that have produced procedures for construction of a nuclear facility suited for the Finnish bedrock culminate in this moment," said Posiva's construction manager, Juha Riihimäki. "The development of the methodology started with the construction of the Onkalo facility in 2004."
It is estimated that 100 deposition tunnels will be excavated during the 100-year operational period of the final disposal facility, totalling a length of about 35 kilometres (km). The maximum length of each tunnel will be 350 metres, and each will measure about 4.5 metres high and about 3.5 metres wide. Commissioning is expected to start in 2025.
Riihimäki explained: "About 30 canisters will be placed in each tunnel. The number depends on how many deposition holes there are in the tunnel and that is determined by the volume of suitable rock based on the rock fractures. The 30 canisters can accommodate about 65 tons of spent nuclear fuel."
Finland's neighbour, Sweden, is working on its own deep bedrock repository near the Forsmark nuclear power plant in Söderviken. However, despite being much larger it is a long way behind the Finnish project. It secured local support toward the end of last year, but it is still awaiting final permission from Sweden's government. Industrial Info is tracking the planned Spent Fuel Repository where the developer, SKB, aims to construct a 5-kilometre ramp that descends to a depth of about 500 metres where a system of tunnels will then be constructed in the bedrock. The first phase will take about 10 years to construct. For additional information, see January 30, 2018, article - Nuclear Repository in Sweden Moves Closer.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn.
