ABSTRACT
The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB), owned by the nuclear power companies, is responsible for managing the radioactive waste from the nuclear power plants in Sweden. According to Swedish law, the owners of the nuclear power plants must finance the cost of managing the radioactive waste and its final disposal.
The system for managing Swedish radioactive waste comprises several facilities, and the radioactivity level of the waste determines how it is managed. Some of these facilities are located underground, and extensive research regarding rock mass behavior and safety aspects has been completed. The system has been in operation for about 40 years, and SKB is entering a new phase where the construction of the Final Repository for Spent Fuel, as well as the extension of the existing Final Repository for Short-Lived Radioactive Waste, will soon begin.
This paper focuses on providing an overview of the different underground facilities that SKB uses for the safe management of various types of radioactive waste, offering key insights into construction, underground layout, and maintenance aspects.
