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Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan to Reconsider Literature Survey for Final Disposal Site of High-Level Radioactive Waste

The Hitachiota City Council in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, held a closed-door meeting on September 9 to hear council members' opinions on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's request for the city to conduct a literature survey for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste. After the meeting, sources said that two council members expressed support and two expressed opposition, and the city council failed to reach a consensus, deciding to hold another meeting on September 16 for discussion. The closed-door meeting was initiated by Hitachiota Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki, with the aim of providing reference for the city government to judge whether to accept the literature survey. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry made the request to the city on August 31. Suzuki previously said he would "actively consider" conducting the literature survey and hoped...

2026-09-10

Hitachioomiya City Assembly in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, discusses literature survey request for nuclear waste disposal site

Hitachioomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, received a request from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) asking the city to accept a literature survey for the siting of a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. On September 8, the Hitachioomiya City Assembly held a general question-and-answer session, during which multiple city assembly members expressed their views on whether to accept the survey. Of the five assembly members who filed questions that day, two expressed opposition to accepting the request and one expressed support. The assembly plans to hold a closed-door meeting on September 9, at which each assembly member will state their position, and the relevant content will subsequently be conveyed to Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki for his consideration in formulating the city government's response. Assembly member Toshiyuki Kurata stated that if the literature survey proceeds, it would impact the policies and projects currently being implemented by the city...

2026-09-09

BESSY II reveals early-stage copper oxidation: providing evidence for catalyst development and corrosion research on nuclear waste final disposal containers

Germany's BESSY II synchrotron facility has recently provided new experimental insights into the early-stage oxidation process of copper surfaces. The study shows that before the formation of pure copper oxides, copper and oxygen atoms first form complex surface superstructures, such as "29"CuₓO. The chemical state of such structures has long been debated, and the findings are of reference value for catalyst research as well as for corrosion protection studies of copper containers used for radioactive waste final disposal. Before the formation of pure copper oxide, complex superstructures composed of copper and oxygen atoms emerge—such as "29"CuxO. HZB In everyday environments, copper surfaces gradually lose their red metallic luster and form a greenish oxide layer. This layer structure can slow further corrosion over an extended period. Regarding the initial stages of this process, the core question researchers focus on is: to what extent are copper atoms actually oxidized once oxygen enters the copper surface. Since conventional spectroscopic methods struggle to clearly distinguish between pure copper and partially oxidized surfaces, such oxidation states have previously been difficult to determine directly.

2026-09-07

Japan Plans to Include Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, in Nuclear Waste Disposal Site Selection Survey

According to sources familiar with the matter on August 31, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is considering conducting a preliminary survey in Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, to designate the city as one of the potential candidate sites for a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. The relevant plan is expected to be submitted to the Hitachiomiya municipal government. If the local government accepts the plan, Hitachiomiya will become the fifth location in Japan to undergo such a preliminary survey. The site selection process for Japan's high-level radioactive waste disposal facility involves multiple stages, and the entire screening process typically takes several years. The proposed preliminary survey is an early step to determine whether the area meets the conditions for further evaluation...

2026-08-31

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

Finland's Onkalo Spent Nuclear Fuel Final Disposal Facility Expected to Receive Operating License by Year-End

Finland's spent nuclear fuel final disposal project has entered the critical stage of operating license review. The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) issued a statement saying that the design and emergency response procedures of the Onkalo final disposal facility meet the safety requirements for granting an operating license. The Finnish government is expected to decide whether to approve the facility's operation before the end of the year. Onkalo is located on Olkiluoto Island in southwestern Finland. "Onkalo" means "cave" in Finnish. If licensed and operational, the facility will become the world's first deep geological final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants, serving as a reference for other countries considering similar facilities...

2026-08-14

Finland's Olkiluoto Spent Nuclear Fuel Final Disposal Facility Passes Regulatory Safety Assessment

The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) released a safety assessment report on August 4, concluding that Posiva's spent nuclear fuel encapsulation plant and final disposal facility at Olkiluoto, Finland, meets the safety requirements for an operating license. This conclusion brings the project, regarded as the world's first industrial-scale geological final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel, one step closer to obtaining government approval for operation. The facility is located on Olkiluoto Island in the municipality of Eurajoki, southwestern Finland, and is designed to dispose of spent nuclear fuel generated by the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant units of Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) and the Loviisa nuclear power plant units of Fortum. Posiva submitted its operating license application in December 2021...

2026-08-05