Support for nuclear waste facilities at Östhammar and Oskarshamn in Sweden is “stronger than ever” with 86% of the municipalities’ residents supporting plans to build a final repository for spent nuclear fuel and an encapsulation facility, a survey says.

Last year the Swedish government approved plans to build a final deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in the municipality of Östhammar and an encapsulation facility near Oskarshamn in the municipality Oskarshamn.

The survey by Novus, carried out in the spring of 2023, said just over 90% in both municipalities believe that SKB, the developer of the deep geological repository, will contribute positively to local development.