Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, known as STUK, has issued an operating license for the world's first permanent underground nuclear waste repository. The facility, called Onkalo, sits near the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant about 240 kilometers from Helsinki.
STUK said this marks the first time worldwide that a facility for encapsulating and permanently disposing of spent nuclear fuel has reached the operating license stage. The agency said preparation took more than 40 years and that no radiation or nuclear safety obstacles remain to granting the license.
How the waste will be stored
Highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel will be placed in iron and copper canisters, then sent for final disposal in the repository, which is built in bedrock at a depth of 400 to 450 meters. This is meant to isolate the waste from people and the environment. Onkalo is designed to safely hold radioactive material for 100,000 years.
The project is run by the company Posiva, which has applied for a license to operate the site until the end of 2070. Before the facility can launch, it must also receive approval from Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, granted only after a positive assessment from STUK.
