Laboratories
Advanced research at our laboratories
SKB is a global leader in research on the final disposal of radioactive waste. A significant portion of this pioneering work is conducted at our three specialized laboratories located in Oskarshamn.
In 1995, SKB completed the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory, located just north of Oskarshamn. The facility consists of a 3.5‑kilometre-long tunnel descending to a depth of approximately 500 meters below ground.
Until 2025, SKB conducted a significant portion of its research here—research that forms the scientific basis for the KBS-3 method, the final disposal method that will be used in the Swedish spent nuclear fuel repository. It is also where the technology that will be used in the Spent Fuel Repository was tested and developed, in full scale and in a genuine underground environment.
It didn’t take long for SKB to recognize the need for a dedicated facility to develop the welding techniques required to seal copper canisters ahead of final disposal. In 1998, the Canister Laboratory was inaugurated at a site in the harbor area of Oskarshamn.
The facility is equipped with unique friction welding technology, specially adapted to meet SKB’s specific requirements
Since 2007, SKB has operated a dedicated facility at Äspö known as the Multipurpose Test Facility. This site is used to develop and test the equipment needed for handling and installing buffer materials in the Spent Fuel Repository.
You can read more about our laboratories using the menu on the right.
Last review: February 10, 2026
Last review: February 10, 2026