The Finnish Disposal Programme
Spent fuel management and disposal
VI International Conference AtomEco-2012
Moscow, Russia
16-17 October 2012
Jouko Mononen
Senior Inspector
Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK)
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Content
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Nuclear power in Finland
STUK in short
National strategy in Finland
The Finnish waste management programme
Posiva’s disposal project
Summary
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Nuclear power in Finland
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Nuclear power in Finland
Olkiluoto NPP (TVO)
• 2 operating units - BWRs
860MWe (-78, -80), AFR storage,
LILW repository
• New EPR under construction
• 4th NPP, Decision in Principle
• SNF Repository site with
ONKALO URCF1) under
construction
1) URCF = Underground Rock Characterization Facility
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Hanhikivi NPP (Fennovoima)
• a new NPP, Decision in
Principle
Loviisa NPP (Fortum)
• 2 operating units - VVERs
488MWe (-77, -81) AFR
storage, LILW repository
• a new NPP license
application rejected
STUK in short
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Role of STUK as the national nuclear regulatory body
Licenses for nuclear facilities in Finland are issued by the Government
• Ministry of Employment and the Economy provides administrative support
for processing license applications.
STUK’s duties
• preparation of national nuclear safety regulations
• safety evaluation (necessary prerequisite for issuing a license)
• inspections needed to verify the safety state of the facility and the
compliance with license conditions over the plant lifetime
• inspections on nuclear waste management and nuclear material safeguards
• binding orders to the licensees as needed to ensure nuclear safety
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6
National strategy in Finland
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National strategy in Finland (1/2)
Establishing a clear process:
• Major milestones and timelines have been set in legislation and Government’s
decisions
– 3 step licensing process (decision in principle, construction license and
operating license)
– Local community hosting the repository has veto-right in the 1st step of the
licensing process
– Early political decision making (decision in principle) and commitment to the
plan
• Safety requirements and targets have been specified in parallel with extensive
R&D programme: licensee’s own research and national confirmatory research
• Over the years, regular regulatory reviews focusing on
– Nuclear power companies invest sufficient resources to meet the
Governments’ decisions
– Site selection, characterization and confirmation, technologies, safety
assessments and safety case
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National strategy in Finland (2/2)
Clear infrastructure
• Clear responsibilities in implementing, licensing and regulation
• Early established government controlled waste funding
Clear path forward:
• Disposal site for spent fuel was selected in 2000
• Underground rock characterization facility called ”Onkalo” is being
built in Olkiluoto to confirm the research on properties of the bedrock
and the conditions in the repository
• Construction license for the actual repository and related facilities (e.g.,
waste encapsulation) to be applied for in 2012
• Readiness for starting disposal and issuance of the operating license in
2020
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The Finnish waste management programme
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Basis for spent fuel programmes
• Spent fuel is presently handled as nuclear waste (once-through
option)
• Producers (NPP operators) are responsible for waste management
and disposal – no joint national programme
• Government has required Fennovoima to submit at latest 2016
– an agreement of spent fuel disposal to Olkiluoto repository OR
– a programme for environmental impact assessment for its own
repository.
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Spent fuel management and disposal in Finland
Teollisuuden Voima Oyj
Fortum Power and Heat Oy
Fennovoima Oy
In future
Olkiluoto power plant
Interim storage
of spent nuclear fuel
Interim storage
of spent nuclear fuel
Loviisa power plant
In NPP site:
•Interim storage of
spent nuclear fuel
Posiva Oy
•Operating waste
Repository
© Posiva Oy
Operating waste repository
Operating waste repository
Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel
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Posiva’s disposal project
© Posiva Oy
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Site selection
Site Identification
Preliminary Site
Detailed Site
1983 - 1985
Characterisation 1986 - 1992
Characterisation 1993 - 2000
© Posiva Oy
More than 100 candidate
sites were identified
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Five sites were subject to
extensive investigations
Olkiluoto site was finally
selected in 2000
Posiva’s overall time schedule
© Posiva Oy
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Onkalo and the disposal facility
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Onkalo excavation situation
© Posiva Oy
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Disposal - Status after 30 years´ work
• Political commitment since 1983
• Clear roles and responsibilities
• Site selected with public acceptance
2001, 1st phase under construction
• Site confirmation ongoing
• Encapsulation facility and Engineered
Barrier System under design, analysis
and development,
• Several safety assessments done
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Summary
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Summary
Key factors in Finnish waste management
• Long term political commitment to resolve the nuclear waste issue
• National strategy and discipline
• Well defined liabilities and roles
• Early on established funding system
• Stepwise licensing and implementation including veto-right for the
local community regarding hosting the repository
• Development of regulatory approach parallel with R&D and in
analogy with nuclear plant safety regulations
• Regular regulatory follow-up of progress in high level waste disposal
programme
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Thank You!
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