The ground was broken on 15 January to begin construction of an underground repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden, one of the first such facilities in the world.
Located at a depth of around 500 metres, the final repository is planned to hold approximately 12,000 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel in 6,000 canisters, and is expected to be operational in the 2030s.
An official start to construction of the Swedish Spent Fuel Repository, in Forsmark, Östhammar Municipality, was attended by the country’s Minister for Climate and Environment, Romina Pourmokhtari.
Sweden is one of the countries believed to be furthest ahead with plans to safely store high-level nuclear waste underground. Finland, also, has commenced a program.
The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, SKB, which is owned by the Swedish nuclear power plants, has been researching and developing technology for the geological final disposal of Swedish nuclear waste for more than 40 years. In autumn 2024, SKB received an environmental permit and an enforcement order from the Land and Environmental Court, which means that work can now begin.
Stefan Engdahl, CEO SKB. Photo Mikael Wallerstedt sqie: “This is a historic day for the Swedish nuclear waste programme. We’re taking an important step and breaking the ground for a final solution for spent nuclear fuel. This sees us creating good conditions for continued fossil-free electricity production, says Stefan Engdahl, CEO of SKB.”
The Minister for Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari represented the government on site and was first to break the ground.
The construction of the Spent Fuel Repository will take ten years before disposal can begin, after which the repository will be gradually extended over a long period. Today marks the start of two years of preparatory work above ground, including the construction of a rock mass storage and water treatment plant, a bridge over the cooling water canal and forest clearing. After that, work begins to go down into the bedrock.
The surface section of the facility will cover a total area of 24 hectares, the equivalent of 44 soccer fields. When fully extended, it will contain more than 60 kilometres of tunnels
