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Finland Grants World's First Operating Licence for Permanent Nuclear Waste Site
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In brief
Finland's government granted Posiva Oy an operating licence on October 22, 2026, making the Onkalo facility the first permanent deep-geological repository for spent nuclear fuel anywhere in the world to receive such approval. The site near Eurajoki can hold up to 6,500 tonnes of uranium fuel, but Posiva still needs final commissioning checks from regulator STUK before disposal can actually begin.
What the Finnish government decided
On October 22, 2026, the Finnish government granted waste-management company Posiva Oy an operating licence for its spent-fuel encapsulation plant and final disposal facility at Olkiluoto in the municipality of Eurajoki, according to the Posiva/TVO press release distributed via Cision and reporting by France 24 and Mugglehead. Mugglehead, citing the licensing terms, reported that the initial licence covers disposal activity through the end of 2070.
The government was able to act after Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, STUK, issued a favourable safety statement on August 4, 2026, concluding that the facility met the requirements of Finland's Nuclear Energy Act, according to industry outlet NucNet. Even with the licence granted, Posiva cannot immediately start burying waste: the company must still complete commissioning tests that STUK will inspect and verify, Mugglehead and NucNet both reported.
Inside the Onkalo repository
Onkalo (Finnish for "cave") sits more than 400 metres underground, according to NucNet, in bedrock that France 24 described as 1.9 billion years old. Spent nuclear fuel is sealed inside corrosion-resistant copper canisters, lowered into holes drilled into the rock, surrounded by bentonite clay, and sealed behind steel-reinforced concrete plugs, per the Posiva press release and France 24's reporting.
The facility is licensed to hold up to 6,500 tonnes of uranium from spent fuel generated at Finland's Olkiluoto and Loviisa nuclear plants, according to Mugglehead and NucNet. NucNet reported that the licensed volume corresponds to roughly 3,300 disposal canisters, with Posiva limited to placing a maximum of 60 canisters underground per year.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Olkiluoto, Eurajoki, Finland | Posiva/Cision; France 24 |
| Depth | More than 400 metres, in roughly 1.9-billion-year-old bedrock | NucNet; France 24 |
| Licensed capacity | Up to 6,500 tonnes of uranium (spent fuel) | Mugglehead; NucNet |
| Canisters | About 3,300 copper canisters; max. 60 placed per year | Mugglehead; NucNet |
| Construction cost cited | $1.16 billion | France 24 |
| Initial licence validity | Through the end of 2070 | Mugglehead |
| Expected operating span | Over 100 years, with disposal potentially continuing into the 2120s | Posiva/Cision; NucNet |
| STUK safety statement | Issued August 4, 2026 | NucNet |
Decades in the making
Posiva's licence application was submitted in December 2021, and the project reflects more than 40 years of research, site investigation and construction, according to NucNet and the Posiva press release. France 24 reported that physical construction of the underground facility began roughly 22 years before the licence was granted, placing the start around 2004.
Posiva Oy is owned jointly by the two nuclear plant operators responsible for Finland's spent fuel: TVO, which holds a 60% stake, and Fortum, which holds 40%, according to NucNet. Posiva's press release noted that a related company, Posiva Solutions Oy, has exported final-disposal expertise to 19 countries.
This solution has not been built because it was easy. It was built despite not being easy.
Why permanence matters
Spent nuclear fuel remains highly radioactive for an extremely long period; France 24 reported that it takes roughly 100,000 years for the radioactivity of the fuel to decline to the level of the original uranium ore it was mined from. That timescale is the main reason authorities pursued a sealed, deep-rock disposal method rather than above-ground storage.
Where other countries stand
France 24 reported that while Finland is expected to be the first country to bring an underground spent-fuel repository into operation, comparable deep-geological repositories are under construction in Sweden and France. Neither of those projects has yet received an operating licence, according to the same report.
What is still unknown
No exact start date for actual waste disposal has been announced. Mugglehead and NucNet both reported that Posiva must first finish commissioning tests and pass a further inspection by STUK before the facility can begin receiving and burying spent fuel. Under Finland's Nuclear Energy Act, responsibility for the site transfers to the Finnish state once the repository is eventually closed, Mugglehead reported.
Questions
- What did Finland's government actually approve on October 22, 2026?
- It granted Posiva Oy an operating licence for its spent-fuel encapsulation plant and permanent disposal facility, Onkalo, at Olkiluoto — the first such licence issued anywhere in the world, according to the Posiva press release, France 24 and NucNet.
- Can Onkalo start burying nuclear waste right away?
- No. Posiva must still complete commissioning tests that Finland's nuclear regulator STUK will inspect and verify before actual disposal operations can begin, Mugglehead and NucNet both reported.
- How much nuclear waste can Onkalo hold?
- The licence covers up to 6,500 tonnes of uranium from spent fuel generated at Finland's Olkiluoto and Loviisa nuclear plants, roughly 3,300 copper disposal canisters, according to Mugglehead and NucNet.
- Who owns and pays for Posiva and Onkalo?
- Posiva Oy is jointly owned by Finnish nuclear operators TVO (60%) and Fortum (40%), per NucNet; France 24 cited a construction cost of $1.16 billion.
- Is Finland the only country building this kind of repository?
- No. France 24 reported that Finland is expected to be first to operate one, but Sweden and France are also constructing comparable deep-geological repositories that have not yet received operating licences.
Sources
- France 24 — Finland grants licence for world's first nuclear waste repository
- Posiva/TVO via Cision — Historic decision: Finnish Government grants operating licence to Posiva
- Mugglehead — Finland grants Posiva, Fortum nuclear waste disposal licence
- NucNet — Finland grants operating licence to world's first deep geologic nuclear repository
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
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