Finland to Build World’s First Nuclear Waste Repository
Finland is set to become the first country in the world to build a nuclear waste repository. The Finnish government plans to store radioactive waste in a massive underground facility starting in 2020. The repository, which is being built by two Finnish nuclear power plant operators, is a century-long project that will be sealed for eternity by 2120. The idea and initial plans for the repository date back to the 1980s.
Despite many countries phasing out nuclear power, Finland remains pro-nuclear and currently has four nuclear power plants in operation, with another under construction. The Finnish Research Hall, an underground center of the country’s largest research institute, VTT, is where the repository is being developed. The facility will house up to 5,500 tons of uranium in 2,800 copper capsules, which will be placed up to 400 meters deep in the rock and surrounded by bentonite.
The Finnish government expects to receive the final building permits for the repository this summer. The materials used in the repository will undergo numerous tests, and even the welding processes will be scrutinized to ensure that corrosion or water penetration is prevented. The aim is to ensure that the nuclear waste is left undisturbed for at least 100,000 years. “Even a new ice age should not affect the system, which is protected by several barriers,” says Konsta Sipilä, a researcher at VTT.
In conclusion, Finland’s decision to build a nuclear waste repository is a bold move that sets it apart from other countries that are phasing out nuclear power. The repository is a massive undertaking that will require careful planning and execution to ensure that the nuclear waste is safely stored for eternity.
