Sweden marked a significant milestone with the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) breaking ground on the final repository for spent nuclear fuel near the Forsmark nuclear power plant. This facility, designed to store 12,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel encapsulated in 6,000 copper canisters, will be built 500 meters underground in 500 tunnels within the bedrock. The project, costing approximately $1.08 billion, is funded by the nuclear industry and aims to be operational for disposal by the 2030s, with full extension expected by the 2080s. The repository will accommodate waste from Sweden’s current nuclear power plants, though it is not intended for future reactors. The initiative follows decades of research and development, with SKB receiving a government license in January 2022 to construct the facility. The project positions Sweden as the second country, after Finland, to develop a permanent storage solution for highly radioactive waste, addressing a global challenge of managing approximately 300,000 tons of spent fuel worldwide. Construction began with full-scale rock excavation, supported by the government’s ongoing push to expand nuclear energy, including plans for up to 10 new reactors by 2045 to meet rising electricity demands. The Forsmark site, already home to three operational reactors, will see enhanced safety measures as part of this long-term waste management strategy.
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