What is Finland's Onkalo facility?

Onkalo is the world's first facility designed for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel, burying it deep underground in copper canisters.

How deep is the Onkalo nuclear waste repository?

The Onkalo facility buries spent nuclear fuel over 400 meters underground within 1.9-billion-year-old bedrock.

How long will Finland's Onkalo facility operate?

The Onkalo facility is expected to operate until the 2120s, after which it will be permanently sealed.

Home / Science / Finland Unveils World's First Nuclear Waste Tomb

Finland Unveils World's First Nuclear Waste Tomb

9 Apr

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Summary

Finland is set to operate the world's first permanent nuclear waste disposal facility.
The Onkalo facility buries spent fuel in copper canisters over 400 meters deep.
This 1 billion euro project aims for safe disposal lasting hundreds of thousands of years.

Finland Unveils World's First Nuclear Waste Tomb

Finland is on the verge of operating the world's first facility for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Named Onkalo, meaning 'cave,' the 1 billion euro project is located on the west coast, near Eurajoki. Construction began in 2004, with the facility designed to entomb radioactive waste deep within 1.9-billion-year-old bedrock, over 400 meters underground.

Spent fuel rods will be sealed in copper canisters at a nearby plant. These canisters will then be buried in tunnels and surrounded by bentonite clay. Posiva, the company behind the project, states Onkalo can store 6,500 tons of spent fuel. This method is intended to isolate waste from civilization and the environment for hundreds of thousands of years.