Construction begins on Swedish Spent Fuel Repository

The ground was broken today to start the construction of the Swedish Spent Fuel Repository in Forsmark, Östhammar Municipality. Minister for Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari was present to officially start the work. The final repository will be ready for disposal in the 2030s, and will be fully extended in the 2080s.

Sweden is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of the progress it has made with its nuclear waste programme. The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, SKB, which is owned by the Swedish nuclear power plants, has been researching and developing technology for the geological final disposal of Swedish nuclear waste for more than 40 years. In autumn 2024, SKB received an environmental permit and an enforcement order from the Land and Environmental Court, which means that work can now begin.

Stefan Engdahl, CEO SKB. Photo Mikael Wallerstedt

– This is a historic day for the Swedish nuclear waste programme. We’re taking an important step and breaking the ground for a final solution for spent nuclear fuel. This sees us creating good conditions for continued fossil-free electricity production, says Stefan Engdahl, CEO of SKB.

The Minister for Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari represented the government on site and was first to break the ground.

The construction of the Spent Fuel Repository will take ten years before disposal can begin, after which the repository will be gradually extended over a long period. Today marks the start of two years of preparatory work above ground, including the construction of a rock mass storage and water treatment plant, a bridge over the cooling water canal and forest clearing. After that, work begins to go down into the bedrock.