In Forsmark, where one of Sweden‘s six nuclear power plants is located, workers from Skb (the Swedish nuclear waste management company) have started building the world’s second largest nuclear waste repository after Finland. Work will continue until 2080, and the site will hold up to 12,000 tonnes of radioactive waste with a lifespan of 100,000 years. After preparatory work above ground, including the construction of a rock storage and treatment facility, a bridge over the cooling canal and deforestation of the area, work will move into the almost two billion year old host rock. The deposit will be located at a depth of 500 metres and will cover a total surface area of 24 hectares, the equivalent of 44 football pitches. When completed, the site (with a final investment cost of one billion euros) will include more than 60 kilometres of tunnels and house 6,000 cast-iron copper containers surrounded by bentonite clay to absorb any leaks. The NGO ‘Office for Nuclear Waste Review’ has appealed to a Swedish court, citing research that suggests the copper capsules could corrode over time and release radioactive elements into the groundwater. Work continues pending the court’s decision. There are currently six nuclear power plants in Sweden, while another six reactors that have been shut down since 1989 could be partially restarted, bringing the total number of active plants to ten. The Swedish government has announced that, from 1 January 2026, uranium deposits will be exploited like other natural resources and will be able to fuel nuclear power plants that supply 28% of the national electricity production.
Read more on Ans.org, Energymonitor.ai Euronuclear.com, Powermag.com, San.com, World-nuclear-news.org
