Finland set to launch world's first permanent nuclear waste repository

The Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is expected to deliver its final assessment of the Onkalo repository by the end of June. A positive evaluation would clear the way for an operating license and bring the facility significantly closer to beginning disposal operations.

Located near the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Eurajoki, southwestern Finland, the repository has been excavated 430 meters below ground in bedrock estimated to be 1.9 billion years old.

According to Philippe Bordarier, chief executive of nuclear operator TVO, the repository could begin operating by late 2026 or early 2027 if the remaining approvals are granted.

Known as Onkalo, meaning "cave" in Finnish, the facility is being developed by nuclear waste management company Posiva. Construction began in 2004, and the project is estimated to have cost around €1 billion.

The repository is intended to store up to 6,500 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel produced by Finland's five operating nuclear reactors. The fuel will be sealed in corrosion-resistant copper canisters and placed in disposal holes drilled into the bedrock. The canisters will then be surrounded by bentonite clay, which serves as an additional barrier against water intrusion and the release of radioactive material.

After disposal tunnels are filled, they will be sealed with reinforced concrete structures. According to Posiva, the multi-layer system is designed to isolate radioactive waste safely for at least 100,000 years.

The project is being closely watched internationally. Several countries, including Sweden, France, Canada and the United States, have explored deep geological repositories as a long-term solution for managing highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel, but none has yet opened a commercial facility for permanent disposal.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Finland launched a summer gold hunt with a €20,000 prize.