On 16 March 2011, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority received a licence application submitted by SKB (the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company) for construction of a spent nuclear fuel repository to be located in Forsmark, Östhammar Municipality, in addition to an encapsulation facility for spent nuclear fuel in Oskarshamn.
For more than 25 years now, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and its predecessors have reviewed the work of the nuclear power industry to propose a site and method for a spent nuclear fuel repository. The Authority has progressed from reviewing SKB’s research and development work to real-life scrutiny of an application.
“We have been monitoring this area for more than 25 years and have consequently built up the Authority’s expertise,” says Eva Simic, a project manager at the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. “We have also established ties with a network of international experts, so we are well-equipped for an in-depth and thorough review of SKB’s licence application.”
Nuclear power industry charged to deal with waste
Under Swedish law, parties with a licence for operating a nuclear power plant are also required to manage the waste generated. The role of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority is to review the work of the nuclear power industry and to examine whether a proposed solution complies with the requirements imposed by the Authority on radiation protection, physical protection and nuclear non-proliferation.
If the application is deficient in some way or demonstrates gaps in knowledge, the Authority will request supplementary information from SKB. If the site and method selected by SKB fail to meet the nuclear safety and radiation protection standards imposed by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, the Authority will recommend that the Government reject SKB’s application.
“We are well-equipped to conduct a critical review of all technical and scientific aspects having an impact on the long-term safety of the repository,” says Björn Dverstorp, a senior advisor at the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority focusing on repository issues.
The Swedish Government has requested an independent peer review by international experts from OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in order to further enhance the review process.
Broad public support
The review process will involve the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority referring the licence application for consideration by various national stakeholders. This process will provide the Authority with viewpoints submitted by other public authorities, academia, the municipal authorities and county administrative boards concerned as well as by environmental organisations.