STUK’s safety assessment takes the world’s first final disposal facility closer to an operating licence
The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) has today, Tuesday 4 August, published its safety assessment of Posiva’s encapsulation and final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel in Olkiluoto. Posiva, the company responsible for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel, considers the assessment a significant milestone in a project that has been systematically developed, researched and assessed for more than 40 years.
This is the world’s first industrial-scale final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. The solution developed by Posiva has attracted worldwide interest. For this reason, the safety assessment is significant not only for Posiva and our owner companies TVO and Fortum, but also for the international nuclear energy community.
STUK’s safety assessment forms a key basis for the Government’s subsequent decision on the operating licence.
- We consider STUK’s safety assessment to be a highly significant and positive milestone in the operating licence process, Posiva’s President and CEO Ilkka Poikolainen says.
Only safe final disposal is possible
The final disposal solution for spent nuclear fuel has been researched, developed and assessed for decades. The encapsulation plant and final disposal facility are intended for the spent nuclear fuel generated by TVO’s Olkiluoto and Fortum’s Loviisa nuclear power plant units.
Safety has been the central starting point of the project from the very beginning and continues to form the foundation of all operations.
The final disposal of spent nuclear fuel is based on the multi-barrier principle. Spent nuclear fuel that has been cooled for several decades is isolated from the environment deep in the bedrock by means of several complementary engineered and natural barriers. The encapsulated spent fuel is emplaced at a depth of approximately 430 metres in ONKALO®, a repository excavated into the bedrock.
- Only safe final disposal is possible. This has been the starting point of Posiva’s work from the very beginning. STUK’s safety assessment shows that our solution has reached an important stage in the operating licence procedure, Poikolainen says.
STUK has assessed operating licence application very thoroughly. During the assessment, Posiva has responded to all requests for supplementary information concerning the operating licence application.
Although the safety assessment is a significant milestone and a key part of the operating licence process, the development of safety will continue after the operating licence phase as well.
- In the nuclear sector, safety is monitored, researched and developed continuously throughout the entire lifecycle of the facility. Continuous improvement is one of the key principles of nuclear safety, Poikolainen notes.
Posiva's solution marks a breakthrough for the global nuclear industry
The positive safety assessment is a meaningful achievement for the entire international nuclear energy sector.
- The safe final disposal of spent nuclear fuel has been a key challenge ever since nuclear power began to be used for electricity generation in the 1950s. Now the solution is closer to implementation than ever before, says President and CEO Ilkka Poikolainen.
Posiva’s final disposal solution has attracted broad international interest, and experts, regulators and nuclear industry organisations continue to follow its progress closely.
- Posiva’s task is to ensure that the current generation takes responsibility for its own spent nuclear fuel. Final disposal provides a long-term and safe solution for this, Poikolainen says.
What happens next?
STUK’s safety assessment is part of the operating licence procedure. The operating licence will be decided by the Government on the basis of the materials submitted to it and the authorities’ assessments.
Posiva will continue preparations related to the commissioning of the facility and the measures required by the regulatory process according to plan.
Before final disposal operations can begin, testing and commissioning activities remain to be completed at the encapsulation plant and, in particular, in the underground final disposal facilities.
- Our ambitious goal is to achieve operational readiness for the start of final disposal by the end of 2026, Ilkka Poikolainen says.
For more information and requests for interviews, please contact:
Ville Kulmala, Communication Manager, tel. +358 40 535 9953, [email protected]