Operation of facility will not start until 2028 at earliest, says TVO
Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (Stuk) has issued an operating permit valid until 2095 for a new disposal facility for very low-level radioactive waste at Olkiluoto, to be operated by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO).
Very low-level waste has so far been disposed of in Olkiluoto’s VLJ repository, which was commissioned in 1992 and consists of two rock silos, a hall connecting the two and auxiliary facilities constructed at a depth of 60-100 metres inside the bedrock.
The VLJ repository holds operational waste and power plant decommissioning waste. It also accommodates radioactive waste generated in Finnish healthcare, industries and research institutions.
TVO said the establishment of a new facility – the first of its kind in Finland – will reduce the need to expand the existing repository. The new facility will hold very low-level nuclear waste from the Olkiluoto nuclear power station and the Onkalo final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel that is close to completion.
It said the very low-level waste will be sorted and packed by waste type and covered with a layer of soil.
Construction and operation of the facility will not start until TVO makes the construction decision and Stuk verifies compliance with requirements through specific inspections, a statement said. Operation of the facility will not start until 2028 at the earliest.
Senior project manager Jari Eskola said: “The operating permit is a significant step for responsible waste management in Olkiluoto. The solution is based on high safety requirements to ensure that the final disposal of very low-level waste is implemented in a controlled manner and protecting the environment.”
Finland has five commercial nuclear plant in operation – two at Loviisa and three at Olkiluoto. They Provide about one-third of the country’s electricity.
