Press releases: Energy

12.11.2015 13:28

Posiva receives a construction licence for a spent nuclear fuel disposal facility

On 12 November 2015, the Government granted Posiva Oy a licence to construct a spent nuclear fuel encapsulation plant and disposal facility at Olkiluoto. A maximum of 6,500 tonnes of uranium may be deposited in the facility.

“The construction licence is an important step in the responsible use of nuclear energy in Finland. The long-term safety of final disposal is a matter of great importance. It must be monitored throughout the service life of the disposal facility,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Olli Rehn.

The Government included several conditions in the construction licence. When applying for an operating licence, Posiva must submit analyses concerning the environmental impacts of the facility, the retrievability of the spent nuclear fuel, the transport risks involved and any changes that may have been introduced into the project.

Posiva states that construction work under the construction licence can be started towards the end of next year. The disposal facility can be ready for operation in 2023.

A world first

“The construction licence granted now is the first in the world for a spent nuclear fuel disposal facility. Finland is an international pioneer in nuclear waste management, which also obliges us to take care of matters responsibly and safely in future. Finnish expertise also provides us with commercial opportunities in developing nuclear waste management in other countries,” Mr Rehn estimates.

The spent nuclear fuel will be packed inside copper canisters at the encapsulation plant, from where they will be transferred into the tunnels of the disposal facility, located at a depth of 400–450 metres, and further into the deposition holes lined with bentonite buffer.

Posiva Oy submitted its application for a construction licence to the Government in December 2012. The processing of the application also included a consultation round. The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority submitted its statement and safety assessment in February 2015. In its decision-in-principles dated 21 December 2000 and 17 January 2002, the Government determined that the project referred to in the application is in line with the overall good of society. Parliament retained the above decision-in-principles in force on 18 May 2001 and 24 May 2002, respectively.

Further information:
Jaana Avolahti, Chief Counsellor, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, tel. +358 29 506 4836
Herkko Plit, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, tel. +358 50 462 0788
Markku Rajala, Special Adviser to the Minister of Economic Affairs, tel. +358 50 345 8490
https://www.tem.fi/en/energy/press_releases_energy?89521_m=119285