Finnish waste management company Posiva on 14 June announced the launch of operations of new subsidiary Posiva Solutions. The new business will "focus on marketing the knowhow accumulated from the design, research and development efforts in the final disposal of used nuclear fuel, as well as on associated consulting services", Posiva said. Mika Pohjonen has been appointed managing director of Posiva Solutions, while its board of directors is chaired by Posiva president Janne Mokka.
In December 2015 Posiva announced it had been granted a licence by the government for the construction of a final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel at Olkiluoto on the country's southwest coast - the first final repository in the world to enter the construction phase. Posiva said the licence was recognition of "the extensive R&D work" carried out by Posiva for more than 40 years to develop a safe final disposal solution for used nuclear fuel. The company has been developing a solution for final disposal of used nuclear fuel since the 1970s and has carried R&D at the Onkalo characterisation facility at Olkiluoto.
In the planned final disposal facility, used fuel assemblies will be encapsulated and placed in the bedrock at a depth of about 400 metres for permanent disposal. The facility comprises two sections: the above-ground encapsulation plant for the encapsulation of the fuel in canisters, and the final repository deep in the bedrock, with tunnels in which the fuel will be placed. Posiva is responsible for the final disposal of used nuclear fuel generated by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) at its Olkiluoto NPP and Fortum at its Loviisa NPP. TVO owns 60% of Posiva and Fortum 40%.
