Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB () estimates a ten-year construction timeline for the spent fuel repository before the commencement of waste emplacement operations. Subsequent to this initial phase, the repository complex will be progressively expanded over an extended timeframe. The initial two-year period will be devoted to surface-level preparations, encompassing the development of rock-based storage and water treatment infrastructure, the construction of a specialized transfer structure spanning the cooling water channel, and the necessary preparatory land clearing. Following these initial works, excavation activities will commence, extending downwards into the bedrock.
SKB’s ability to initiate subterranean tunneling operations is contingent upon securing a formal safety endorsement from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM). The SSM will maintain a rigorous, phased review of the final repository development in accordance with the regulatory framework defined by the Act on Nuclear Activities.
The operating permit granted for the repository encompasses radioactive waste originating from the 12 reactors (with six currently in operation) that constitute Sweden’s existing nuclear power generation infrastructure. It specifically excludes any waste materials arising from potential future expansions of the nation’s nuclear energy capacity.
The surface footprint of the repository site will occupy a land area of roughly 24 hectares (equivalent to 60 acres), while the completed network of underground excavations will ultimately extend to more than six kilometers of subterranean tunnels.
The deep geological repository has been designed to accommodate approximately 6,000 high-integrity waste canisters, containing an estimated volume of 12,000 m. tonnes of radioactive waste, at a depth of approximately half a kilometer below the surface.
SKB initially lodged an application with the Nacka District Court’s Land and Environmental Division back in 2011, seeking the necessary permits for the long-term storage (100 000 years) of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste materials.
In October of the preceding year, the Land and Environmental Court officially authorized SKB’s plans, establishing the operational guidelines that will govern the facility’s activities. A corresponding enforcement order, also issued by the court, empowers SKB to commence preliminary on-site preparations, even in the event of potential appeals to the Svea Court of Appeal.
A comparable deep geological repository for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel is presently under construction at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in Finland.
