The second of its kind in the world, it will ensure the long-term isolation and safety of radioactive waste.
At the moment, Finland is the leading nation in developing a permanent, deep geological repository for high-level nuclear waste. The operations are expected to start by 2026. Now, Sweden is taking up responsibility for safe disposal. Digging has already started and, in due course, will safely store highly the waste for an extended period, specifically 100,000 years.
Sweden's repository - located 500 meters below ground - will be housed in 1.9-billion-year-old solid bedrock. The construction work of the Spent Fuel Repository is taking place in Söderviken, adjacent to the Forsmark nuclear power plant.
The nuclear industry has long grappled with the challenge of safely disposing of its waste, so it's good to see Sweden and Finland leading the way in how to safely store it. Nuclear waste is infamous for its long-lasting radioactivity, often persisting for millennia, so 100,000 years should be enough to solve the problem.
Sweden's repository will be constructed in phases. While spent fuel canisters will be placed in completed tunnels, whilst new tunnels will be excavated simultaneously. This process is expected to continue for about 40 years until all the spent nuclear fuel has been safely stored. After this, the entire repository will be permanently sealed.
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