Finland’s Onkalo repository licensing gets stuck again

STUK was expected to issue an opinion on the application by the end of 2024. A favorable opinion by STUK is required before the Finnish government can grant an operating license for the geologic repository.

Posiva, which is responsible for the final disposal of spent fuel generated by Finland’s Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants, is currently running trial tests of Onkalo’s encapsulation and disposal facilities, located near Olkiluoto in southwestern Finland.

The delay: Posiva submitted its operating license application for Onkalo in December 2021, and STUK was initially expected to issue a favorable opinion on the safety case before the end of 2023, followed by final license approval by the country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

In January 2024, however, STUK asked the ministry to extend its deadline for issuing a statement until the end of 2024, noting that its review of Posiva’s safety case was proceeding slower than anticipated.

Then, on December 4, STUK again proposed extending the deadline to the end of 2025, which the government approved. While STUK claims it has “progressed well in processing the operating licensing application,” the regulator said it has taken longer than anticipated due to the scope of the materials and updates involved. Changes Posiva made to its technical plans for final disposal also affected the timeline of the safety assessment, according to STUK, which added that it received new materials from the company in late 2024.

Next steps: STUK project manager Antti Tynkkynen said that a final decision on the application depends on when STUK has all the material required to conduct the safety assessment. “We are therefore unable to promise an exact timetable,” he said. “Once Posiva has demonstrated that the operation of the facilities and the safety of the final disposal meet the requirements, the safety assessment will be completed promptly. If Posiva material updates do not cause any further clarification, it is possible that the work will be completed by the end of the summer.”