Finland secures licence for pioneering permanent underground nuclear waste repository

Many countries are developing facilities, but Finland becomes the first to secure licensing for its underground repository.

Published On 23 Oct 202623 Oct 2026

Finland has granted an operating licence for the world’s first permanent underground repository for spent nuclear fuel.

The government handed the licence to the Onkalo site in western Finland on Thursday, waste‑management company Posiva announced.

While the authorisation does not permit the facility’s immediate opening, Posiva expects operations to begin soon. Construction started 22 years ago, but an exact opening date has not yet been set.

“This is a great and historic day for both Posiva and Finland,” said Ilkka Poikolainen, the company’s chief executive officer, in a statement.

“Before final disposal begins, Posiva will complete the commissioning phase, conducting the required tests and inspections that STUK [the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority] must verify and approve.”

Onkalo, whose name means “cave” in Finnish, will permanently store up to 6 500 tonnes of uranium fuel from Finland’s five nuclear reactors.

The spent fuel will be sealed in copper canisters that resist corrosion within the geological formation. The canisters will be lowered into holes drilled in the bedrock, backfilled with bentonite clay, and finally capped with a steel‑reinforced concrete plug.

The waste will remain highly radioactive for tens of thousands of years. After roughly 100 000 years its activity will be comparable to that of the original uranium ore, according to Posiva.

Nations have grappled with managing dangerous nuclear by‑products since the first reactors were built in the 1950s. At present, most of this material remains in temporary storage.

Other countries, including neighbours Sweden and France, are also constructing final repositories, but Finland is projected to be the first to open its underground facility.

The total cost of the Onkalo project has been estimated at $1.16 billion.

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