Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment: Condition for the validity of Posiva's construction licence has been met
On 14 December 2016, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment received a statement by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) stating that Posiva has started the construction of a final disposal facility in Eurajoki. At the end of November, STUK found that Posiva had the necessary readiness to begin building the final disposal facility in accordance with Section 108 of the Nuclear Energy Decree.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has assessed the condition for validity entered into the construction licence together with the information it has received on Posiva starting construction and finds that the condition has been met.
In November 2015, the Government granted Posiva a construction licence. A condition was set according to which the permit ceased to be valid, if Posiva did not initiate the construction of the encapsulation and final disposal facility within a period of two years.
In its statement submitted to the ministry, STUK also finds that according to its assessment, Posiva fulfilled the condition for validity entered into its construction licence when it initiated construction of the final disposal facility, which includes structures of significance to nuclear safety.
In practice, final disposal may only begin after the Government has granted the facility an operating licence. Posiva plans to apply for an operating licence in 2020 and to have the final disposal facility at full readiness in 2023.
The total volume of the spent nuclear fuel that will be disposed in the final disposal facility will be equal at most to 6,500 tonnes of uranium. This will be equal to the total amount of spent nuclear fuel produced by the three nuclear plant units owned by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj and the two nuclear plant units owned by Fortum Power and Heat Oy.
Further information:
Linda Kumpula, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment tel. +358 50 412 4425
Jorma Aurela, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 592 2109