Finland is preparing to activate the world’s first permanent underground repository for spent nuclear fuel after more than two decades of construction, marking a major milestone in global nuclear energy management.
The facility, known as Onkalo, is located near the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant on Finland’s western coast and is designed to store approximately 6,500 tons of radioactive nuclear waste generated by the country’s five nuclear reactors over the next century.
The €1 billion project is managed by Posiva and financed by Finnish nuclear energy companies TVO and Fortum.
According to Posiva officials, the repository could begin operations later this year pending final technical testing and regulatory approval from Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority and the national government.
The underground facility is built more than 400 meters below ground inside highly stable bedrock selected for its geological stability, low seismic activity and impermeability.
Posiva argues the system offers a safer long-term alternative to traditional temporary nuclear waste storage methods currently used around the world, such as cooling pools and above-ground dry storage.
Spent nuclear fuel will first cool for approximately 40 years before being sealed inside cast iron containers coated with corrosion-resistant copper and placed into deep underground deposition holes lined with bentonite clay.
The repository is expected to remain operational for roughly 100 years before being permanently sealed.
Finland’s nuclear waste strategy dates back decades. Since 1977, Finnish nuclear operators have contributed annual payments into a government-managed fund dedicated to financing long-term disposal solutions. Officials estimate the fund now contains approximately €3.5 billion.
Despite possessing the expertise and infrastructure, Finland does not plan to import or store nuclear waste from other countries, a practice prohibited under Finnish law.
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