Search Results

Keyword:Onkalo disposal facility

Finland's Posiva Authorized to Operate the World's First Deep Geological Repository for Spent Fuel

Finland's Posiva Authorized to Operate the World's First Deep Geological Repository for Spent Fuel

Finnish radioactive waste management company Posiva has officially received an operating license from the Finnish government to operate the spent fuel encapsulation and final disposal facility at Olkiluoto. The facility thus becomes the world's first spent nuclear fuel repository to receive such an operating license. On December 30, 2021, Posiva submitted an operating license application to the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment for the spent fuel encapsulation plant and the Onkalo final disposal facility, with the requested operating period running from March 2024 through the end of 2070. The encapsulation plant and final disposal facility...

2026-10-24

Finland's Onkalo Spent Fuel Disposal Facility Starts Drilling of First Disposal Hole

Finland's Onkalo Spent Fuel Disposal Facility Starts Drilling of First Disposal Hole

On the afternoon of August 26, 2026, Finland's Onkalo spent fuel final disposal facility commenced drilling of its first disposal hole deep in the bedrock at Olkiluoto. Posiva stated that the drilling operation is being carried out at a depth of more than 400 meters underground, with the drill bit beginning to cut into the approximately 1.9-billion-year-old Olkiluoto bedrock. Kimmo Lehtola, Posiva's Operations Construction Manager, explained that a kick-off meeting had been held the day before the operation, focusing on reviewing safety matters, technical specifications, and the detailed drilling plan. On the morning and early afternoon of the drilling day, the team completed final adjustments to the equipment, after which the drilling rig began its work. He noted that the team had previously completed...

2026-08-28