6 Nov (NucNet): Finnish nuclear waste management company Posiva Oy says it has developed a final disposal solution for used nuclear fuel which it plans to offer on global markets.
Posiva has been developing a solution for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel since the 1970s and has carried out extensive R&D at the Onkalo characterisation facility at Olkiluoto, on Finland’s southwest coast.
Without giving details, Posiva said this work has resulted in the development of “several innovative technical solutions and equipment as well as unique knowhow based on diversified research in multiple fields”.
Posiva said this expertise is in demand and the time is right for starting a service business. “Our development project has reached a stage where we have ready solution models and service packages that can be flexibly adapted to the local circumstances of companies planning their nuclear waste management,” Posiva said.
The company’s president and chief executive officer, Janne Mokka, said nuclear waste regulations in Europe create “a unique opportunity” to meet demand with supply.
Posiva said many Finnish firms and research organisations have been involved in its R&D projects and as a result “we now have a cluster of unique multidisciplinary expertise in nuclear waste management”.
Posiva said Finland’s final disposal project is now nearing the construction stage for a repository and waste encapsulation plant at Olkiluoto.
Posiva is responsible for the final disposal of used nuclear fuel generated by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) at its nuclear station in Olkiluoto and Fortum at its nuclear station in Loviisa. TVO owns 60 percent of Posiva and Fortum owns 40 percent.
Posiva said the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel is planned to start in the 2020s and will continue for almost 100 years.
The company has estimated the total cost of final disposal is at €3bn ($3.2bn), with the long service life of the final disposal facility contributing most to that figure.
