Education and Training Series #74: Safe Final Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Finland
Part of a webinar series hosted by the GIF Education and Training Working Group since 2016.
Who should attend?
Policymakers, industry professionals, regulators, researchers, students, the general public.
About the "GIF Education and Training" Webinars
These webinars, organised by the GIF Education and Training Working Group are streamed live monthly. The recordings and slide decks are accessible after the webinar on this website. These webinars cover a very broad range of technical and policy related topics. At the end of 2023 they have been viewed by more than 15000 people (approximately half of the views during the live streams and the other half views being of the archives on the public GIF website). In total, the GIF webinars have reached Generation IV enthusiasts, scientists, and engineers in more than 80 countries.
These webinars are organised and hosted by the GIF Education and Training Working Group (ETWG).
About this Webinar
This webinar highlights the history, describes the status, and examines the strategy for safe final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. A privately held company, Posiva Solutions Oy, is responsible for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel of its owners. Posiva is charged with research & development, planning and design, as well as the construction and operation of the encapsulation plant and final disposal facility. Following the site investigation (1983–1999), Posiva applied for a decision-inprinciple from the Finnish government and parliament. It was granted 2001. In 2012, Posiva applied for the construction permit, which was authorized in 2015, and started preparatory construction works in 2016. Construction works of the encapsulation plant and the excavation of the underground facilities started in 2019 and will be ready in 2023. Posiva submitted the operating permit application to the Finnish government in December 2021.A Trial Run of Final Disposal (TRFD) will be carried out in 2024, prior to the estimated start of the operation in 2025. Safeguards are applied for the first time for a spent fuel repository.
Presentation made during the webinar
Meet the presenter
Mr. Mika Pohjonen, Managing Director of Posiva Solutions Oy, has over 30 years of international experience in the energy sector. He has previously held various sales and management positions in the engineering and management consulting business. Mr. Pohjonen has broad experience in the nuclear energy business, acquired in numerous projects in Finland and in most European countries that utilize nuclear energy, as well as in the Middle East and China. He has also worked as an invited expert for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in environmental and social impact assessment.
Ms. Mari Lahti, Nuclear Safety Manager with Posiva Oy, has been working since 2007 in the program for geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. She has previous versatile and multinational geoscientific experience from mining industry and research institutes. Since 2012, she has been responsible of the safeguards planning and implementation related to disposal operations and licensing in this respect. In 2016 she started in her current role as nuclear safety manager, overseeing nuclear safety, radiation protection and nuclear material safeguards. Ms. Lahti is President-elect for 2023-2024 in European Safeguards Research and Development Association ESARDA enhancing nuclear safeguards in European context.