Posiva Oy has filed for a permit to construct an underground rock characterisation facility, to be called Onkalo, at Olkiluoto in the Eurajoki municipality. Two years ago, the Finnish parliament ratified in principle a decision to build a final spent nuclear fuel storage facility at Olkiluoto.
Posiva, which is responsible for research into the final disposition of spent nuclear fuel in Finland, said that the construction of the Onkalo facility "will facilitate the planning of the final repository, while the research activities carried out within it will produce information required for the building permit application for the final repository, which will be submitted to the government." The project's total cost will be r50 million, with completion due in 2010. Work is due to start in 2004.
