Nuclear waste: Queries have come from abroad – Posiva denies plans to make nuclear waste encapsulation a business

Finland is on the cusp of a historic milestone, poised to become the world's first nation to commence the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The ambitious project is being undertaken by the nuclear waste management company Posiva at its underground repository, known as Onkalo, located in Eurajoki.

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STUK's safety assessment is a very significant milestone.

A significant step forward was achieved on Tuesday when the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) issued a favorable safety assessment for Posiva's encapsulation and final disposal facility. This positive evaluation means the Finnish government can eventually grant the facility its operating license, allowing Posiva to accelerate preparations for the repository's launch.

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The goal is to achieve readiness for final disposal by the end of 2026.

Posiva's CEO, Ilkka Poikolainen, emphasized the importance of STUK's assessment as a "very significant milestone." He stated that the company aims to be ready for final disposal by the end of 2026. Poikolainen highlighted the global significance of this endeavor, noting that it is the first industrial-scale final repository for spent nuclear fuel worldwide. The project has drawn international attention, as the safe disposal of high-activity nuclear waste has been a persistent challenge for the nuclear industry since the 1950s.

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The significance is not only for Posiva and our owners, TVO and Fortum, but also internationally.

Despite inquiries from abroad regarding Finland's potential to accept foreign nuclear waste, Posiva maintains a firm stance against such operations. Poikolainen clarified that the license for Onkalo is exclusively for the disposal of spent fuel generated in Finland by TVO and Fortum. He explicitly stated that "final disposal of foreign spent nuclear fuel is not part of Posiva's plans." While Finland's new nuclear energy law permits the temporary storage and encapsulation of foreign waste, potentially opening business opportunities for Posiva, Poikolainen reiterated that the company's focus remains solely on its owners' fuel. The facility's design is based on the quantities of spent fuel from Olkiluoto's three reactors and Loviisa's two reactors.

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The Posiva final disposal facility is designed and licensed exclusively for the spent nuclear fuel generated in Finland by TVO and Fortum.