The Finnish nuclear waste management is guided by the Nuclear Energy Act and Decree. These define the duties of producers of nuclear energy, licencing procedures, and regulatory rights. In 1994 the Nuclear Energy Act was amended so that all nuclear waste produced in Finland must be disposed of in Finland. The act also prohibits the import of nuclear waste in Finland. The final disposal facilities for low and intermediate level nuclear waste are built into bedrock. In Olkiluoto, this type of disposal facility has been in use since 1992. The final disposal facility at Loviisa was taken into use in 1998. Most countries which produce nuclear energy have final disposal facilities for low and intermediate level waste. Preparations for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel began in the early 1980s. The goal set in 1983 by the Government was to have a site chosen by the year 2000. Construction of the disposal facility was scheduled to start soon after 2010. In October 2003, however, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (currently Ministry of Employment and the Economy) made the decision that the construction licence application should be submitted by the end of 2012. The extension of the research and planning phase does not affect the overall timetable of the project; the final disposal facility is proposed to be taken into use in around the year 2020. This research, development and planning work is being carried out by Posiva Oy, a company jointly formed by the companies Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) and Imatran Voima Oy (IVO). Spent fuel assemblies are to be encapsulated and disposed of in a facility to be built at the depth of about half a kilometre in bedrock. Extensive investigations have been carried out in six sites and the chosen disposal site is Olkiluoto at Eurajoki. |
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