Sweden’s Radiation Safety Authority (SSSM) on Tuesday said it had recommended government approval of license applications from the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. (SKB) for construction and operation of spent reactor fuel encapsulation and permanent disposal facilities.
“The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority assesses that SKB has the potential to ensure safe management and final disposal of spent nuclear fuel so that human health and the environment are protected against harmful effects of radiation,” Ansi Gerhardsson, SSSM head of section, said in a press release.
In a separate recommendation, though, the Swedish Land and Environment Court said more data was needed on the copper capsules that will hold the spent fuel in storage, World Nuclear News reported.
SKB is seeking approval to build the repository in the east coast municipality of Östhammar, while the encapsulation plant would be placed nearby in Oskarshamn. The facilities would open in the early 2030s to manage final disposal of roughly 12,000 metric tons of used fuel from Swedish nuclear power plants. The government largely has the final word on the applications, but they can be vetoed by the municipalities that would house them.
“There are a number of prerequisites for SSM’s recommendation to approve the licence applications, such as the continued development of [safety analysis reports] and management systems for these facilities in accordance with the step-wise permitting process under the Act on Nuclear Activities,” Gerhardsson stated. “This means that SKB, at several stages of an ongoing process, must submit further information and analysis to be examined and approved by SSM before the company is allowed to move on to the next step of the process.”
