STUK issues permit for very low-level nuclear waste disposal in OL

The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) has issued an operating permit for the deep geological final disposal facility to be operated by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) in Olkiluoto (OL), said TVO in a press release on Tuesday.

The facility is designed for the final disposal of very low-level nuclear waste and will be the first of its kind in Finland.

The permit was issued by virtue of the Nuclear Energy Act and is valid until the end of 2095.

The operation of the facility will start in 2028 at the earliest.

The nuclear waste to be placed in the facility consists of very low-level nuclear waste from the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant and the final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel, said TVO.

The very low-level nuclear waste has until now been deposited in the Olkiluoto operating waste repository for final disposal.

However, the radiation properties of this waste do not render it harmful to people or the environment, the TVO added.

The facility will be located in the Olkiluoto power plant area close to the existing repository for low- and intermediate-level waste. The planned total volume of the new deep geological final disposal facility is about 45,200 cubic metres with nuclear waste accounting for at most 10,000 cubic metres.

The area required for the deep geological facility is approximately 7,600 square metres. The establishment of the deep geological facility reduces the need to expand the operating waste repository, which cuts the need for considerably more expensive rock construction. Also, deep geological final disposal further improves waste sorting practices in Olkiluoto.

The Regional State Administrative Agency’s environmental permit was obtained for the deep geological final disposal facility already in 2023.

The construction and the operation of the facility will not start until TVO makes the construction decision and STUK verifies compliance with requirements through specific inspections.

“The operating permit is a significant step for responsible waste management in Olkiluoto. The solution is based on high safety requirements to ensure that the final disposal of very low-level waste is implemented in a controlled manner and protecting the environment,” said Senior Project Manager Jari Eskola in the press release.