Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK – Säteilyturvakeskus) has issued an operating permit for the deep geological final disposal facility to be operated by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) in Olkiluoto. The facility is designed for the final disposal of very low-level nuclear waste. The permit is valid until the end of 2095.
The Regional State Administrative Agency’s environmental permit was obtained in 2023. The construction and the operation of the facility will not start until TVO makes the construction decision and STUK verifies compliance with requirements through specific inspections. Before operating the facility, TVO must update its procedures and management system and provide training to the personnel. The environmental radiation monitoring programme will also be further developed and inspections related to the substructures will be carried out under STUK’s oversight.
The first deposition campaign will be preceded by a commissioning inspection to ascertain the safety and operational readiness of the facility. Operation will not start until 2028 at the earliest.
The nuclear waste to be placed in the facility consists of very low-level nuclear waste from the Olkiluoto NPP and from the final disposal facility for used nuclear fuel. The very low-level nuclear waste was previously deposited in the Olkiluoto operating waste repository for final disposal.
At the new facility, the very low-level waste will be sorted and packed by waste type and covered with a layer of soil. Although the Olkiluoto facility is the first deep geological final disposal facility in Finland, the method has been in use elsewhere. For example, similar facilities are in operation in Sweden.
The planned total volume of the new deep geological final disposal facility is about 45,200 cubic metres with nuclear waste accounting for at most 10,000 cubic metres. The area required for the facility is approximately 7,600 square metres. The establishment of the deep geological facility reduces the need to expand the operating waste repository.
