slutförvaring

Slutförvaring, or final disposal, is the planned long-term isolation of spent nuclear fuel and certain long-lived radioactive waste in a dedicated repository designed to prevent radionuclide release to the environment for very long timescales, often tens of thousands to a million years.

In Sweden, the management of spent nuclear fuel involves initial interim storage and subsequent final disposal. Spent fuel is currently kept at central interim storage facilities, and the plan is to move it to a deep geological repository in the bedrock. The Swedish company SKB develops a multi-barrier repository concept in crystalline rock, intended to be located at Forsmark on the Baltic coast. The disposal design envisions a copper canister containing the spent fuel with a steel insert, surrounded by a clay buffer such as bentonite, and deposited in tunnels within the host rock. The surrounding geological formation, the buffer, and the canister together form a multi-barrier system intended to keep radioactive materials isolated from the biosphere.

Regulation and oversight are central to slutförvaring in Sweden. SKB is the operator and developer, while supervision and licensing are carried out by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and the government. The process includes safety assessments, environmental impact studies, and adherence to national and international guidelines, such as those from the IAEA and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. International collaboration and public review accompany the site selection, design, and licensing efforts to ensure long-term safety.

Current status reflects ongoing site investigations and regulatory review for the Forsmark project, with licensing and permitting processes continuing. If approved, construction and eventual operation would follow a regulated timeline consistent with safety requirements and long-term containment objectives.