Statement on the operating licence for a nuclear waste final disposal facility in the making

According to Project Manager Antti Tynkkynen, STUK is already in the final stages of assessing the operating licence.

“STUK has already received and processed a large part of the material and we have been able to start preparing the safety assessment,” says Antti Tynkkynen. “Once we receive the rest of the needed material and the clarifications we have requested, the assessment can be completed and the statement prepared quickly.”

“A lot does also depend on Posiva’s own schedules and whether they will make further changes to the final disposal systems,” says Antti Tynkkynen.  The effects of the changes must be assessed from the point of view of the safety justification concerning long-term safety. Posiva must provide detailed descriptions of even the smallest changes. That takes time, as does STUK’s review.

STUK’s report states that in the last third of 2024, STUK received several updated licence application materials from Posiva for review. Posiva, the company responsible for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel, has also made technical changes to the final disposal systems, which is why they have also updated the related materials for STUK to review.

The process has also been delayed due to deficiencies and inconsistencies in the material Posiva has provided to STUK. STUK has submitted requests for clarification to Posiva and is awaiting answers to several questions.

Initially, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment awaited STUK’s statement by the end of 2023, if possible. However, the deadline has been postponed on two occasions, most recently in the autumn of 2024 when it was postponed to the end of this year.

The schedule must not affect safety

According to the recent report, STUK has paid special attention to the operations of Posiva’s organisation and how ready Posiva is to start final disposal. From STUK’s point of view, there are still scheduling pressures evident in Posiva’s operations that may cause them to progress even if the plans or requirements of the nuclear sector have not been fully taken into account.

As part of the safety assessment, STUK assesses the readiness of Posiva’s organisation with regard to the operation phase. STUK has enhanced supervision to ensure that the organisation meets the defined safety requirements and prerequisites.