Swedish method gains approval in Finland

Finland is to be the first country in the world to begin construction of a final repository for spent nuclear fuel and will do so using the method developed by SKB over many years. After a positive recommendation earlier this year from the Finnish radiation safety authority STUK, the Finnish government have now also approved the application submitted by Posiva, SKB’s Finnish counterpart, to construct a final repository.

SKB’s president Christopher Eckerberg. Photo: Lasse Modin.

SKB’s president Christopher Eckerberg. Photo: Lasse Modin.

“This is important recognition that SKB’s method for the final repository for spent nuclear fuel has now gained approval in another country. We are just as happy as Posiva over the positive decision they have received today,” is the comment made by Christopher Eckerberg, president of SKB, about the Finnish decision.

The decision that has now been made is a historic one, as Finland will be the first country in the world to begin building a final repository for spent nuclear fuel.

Long-standing partnership

The partnership between SKB and Posiva on research and development was started at the end of the 1970s and intensified in the early years of this century.
“We are looking forward to further intensification of the long and constructive partnership between SKB and Posiva, for instance in developing technology,” Christopher Eckerberg says.

The Finnish ONKALO final repository is to be constructed at Olkiluoto on the west coast of Finland. This is also the site of two of Finland’s four nuclear power reactors.

Japan, South Korea, the UK and, most recently, Taiwan are other countries that are interested in sharing SKB’s expertise about final repositories and cooperation in this field.

“Our method has been successful and we are exporting our expertise to other countries,” says Christopher Eckerberg.