Finland grants world’s first operating licence for nuclear waste repository

Finland’s government has granted an operating licence to Posiva’s Onkalo spent nuclear fuel repository, the first such licence in the world for a facility intended for high-level radioactive waste, Yle reports.

The repository is in the municipality of Eurajoki. The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) must still issue a separate decision before operations can begin.

STUK gave Onkalo a favourable assessment in August, saying the requirements for an operating licence had been met. The repository is designed to place nuclear waste in bedrock 400 to 450 metres underground.

STUK director Jaakko Leino called the decision a milestone for Finland’s nuclear technology and internationally. He said the facility’s design rests on decades of research and development, and that the lack of operating experience does not prevent authorities from assessing its safety.

Juhani Hyvärinen, a professor of nuclear engineering at LUT University, said delays in other countries had been caused more by political obstacles than by technology. The technology behind Onkalo was originally licensed from Sweden and then completed in Finland, he said.

Posiva must complete commissioning and carry out tests and inspections before it can begin final disposal. STUK will review and approve that work. Posiva chief executive Ilkka Poikolainen said there was no precise timetable yet, adding that the final steps would be taken carefully.