The Swedish Government has given permission for SKB to build a final repository for spent nuclear fuel.
The site is located in Forsmark, some 125km north of Stockholm and will call for a complex of over 60km of tunnels. The repository itself is 3-4km2 and is at a depth of 500m. The project plans also include an encapsulation facility to be built 300km to the south of Stockholm. SKB stated that works would cost approximately US$ 20 billion and employ 1,500 people.
The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) is responsible for dealing with all radioactive waste in Sweden and is funded largely by a charge levied on nuclear power companies.
A spokesperson for SKB said, “SKB has researched and developed technology for the final repository for more than 40 years in collaboration with experts from universities, research institutes and higher education institutions in Sweden and abroad.”
SKB’s CEO Johan Dasht added, “It is a historical decision that enables SKB to dispose of the nuclear waste that our generation has produced. This decision is met with open arms. We are now looking forward to implementing Sweden’s largest environmental protection project.
“For SKB, the decision further strengthens our position as a world leader in this area. The final repository also provides long-term solutions for electricity generation and is, thereby, our contribution to enabling fossil-free living within one generation.”
