The Finish government has given a green light to two utilities, Fortum and Teollisuuden Voima Oyj, for construction of a nuclear fuel repository that could hold 6,500 metric tons of spent fuel 1,300 feet to 1,500 feet underground.
The facility, including an encapsulation station, is to be built and operated by Posiva, a joint venture of the two utilities. The repository, which is expected to store the spent fuel for 100,000 years, is slated for Eurajoki, Finland, on the island of Olkiluoto. Construction could begin in 2016 with the facility ready to start operations in 2023. Reportedly, it will be a $3.8 billion project, including operation expenses through the first 100 years. The planning also includes decommissioning the site, where the waste will be packed into copper containers.
Once packed, the containers will be moved through tunnels to their permanent resting place underground in holes lined with bentonite, which is a montmorillonite-based soft clay composite.
Posiva Chief Executive Officer Janne Mokka said 40 years of research has gone into the project. The government's approval “is a huge step for us,” Mokka said.
Finland’s Economy Minister Olli Rehn said the approval was the first in the world for an underground nuclear fuel repository. Sweden has similar plans, but is not as advanced in the process as Finland.
The local population has approved of the project. Posiva, meanwhile, was granted the license with several caveats: The company is required to assess the project's impact on the environment and advise the government on how to retrieve the stockpile if necessary. The company has also been asked to submit an analysis of transportation risks.