STUK supports licence for world's 1st spent nuke fuel repository

The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) on Tuesday issued a statement for the licence application of Posiva Oy’s to operate a spent nuclear fuel encapsulation and final disposal facility, said an official press release.

The STUK issued a statement to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment saying that the safety requirements required for granting the operating licence are met.

This is the first time in the world that the geological final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel has progressed to the operating licence phase.

In its statement, the STUK stated that the encapsulation and final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel Posiva built in Olkiluoto, Eurajoki met the safety requirements set for it in the Nuclear Energy Act and Decree.

Therefore, there is no obstacle to granting the facility an operating licence with regard to radiation and nuclear safety.

"This is a significant step in the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel that has been prepared for more than 40 years. STUK has been assessing and overseeing the safety of final disposal over several decades. Based on the overall assessment we have now made, we can conclude that the safety requirements for granting the operating permit are met," said Petteri Tiippana, Director General of STUK.

In the final disposal solution selected by Posiva, the high-level spent nuclear fuel is enclosed in final disposal canisters in an above-ground encapsulation plant.

The canisters will then be permanently placed in a final disposal facility built in the bedrock at a depth of 400–450 metres.

The spent nuclear fuel is thus isolated from people and the living environment by several complementary release barriers. These include the final disposal canister made of iron and copper, the surrounding bentonite clay and the bedrock itself.

"The safety of final disposal is not dependent on a single structure or material. The safety is based on a combination of a canister, bentonite clay and bedrock, which prevents and slows down the release and migration of radioactive substances into the environment," said Jaakko Leino, Director of Nuclear Waste and Regulation.

Posiva is currently applying for an operating licence until the end of 2070. STUK will also monitor Posiva’s operations during the facility’s operation pursuant to the Nuclear Energy Act.

"Demonstrating safety has been the starting point for the assessment throughout. We have reviewed a great amount of technical data and safety analyses and monitored Posiva’s operations in many ways," said Antti Tynkkynen, Project Manager for the Posiva regulatory control project.