ABSTRACT
The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) is planning to construct the Final Repository for Spent Fuel at Forsmark site in Sweden, at a depth of nearly 500 meters. Once completed, the repository will store 12 000 tons of spent fuel, which is the amount generated by the Swedish nuclear power program since the 1980s. SKB has developed a special method for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel called KBS-3, which relies on three protective barriers: copper canisters, bentonite clay and the Swedish bedrock.
This paper presents a historical review of the site selection process for the Spent Fuel Repository, with a focus on the characterization of the bedrock at the Forsmark site, primarily conducted during the site investigation phase in the early 2010s. These investigations are summarized in a Site Descriptive Model, which is a multidisciplinary interpretation involving geomechanics, geology, hydrogeology, and other relevant fields. This model serves as the foundation for the long-term Safety Assessment of the repository, covering a timespan of 100,000 years. The Spent Fuel Repository program is now entering a new phase, with construction activities becoming the primary focus.
This paper provides an overview of the detailed investigation program, which includes ongoing characterization activities of the bedrock that SKB will conduct parallel to the excavation works. The ultimate goal of these activities is to confirm the understanding of the Site, which is described in the Site Descriptive Model. The scope and methodology for the characterization activities are described, along with key insights from the planning phase.
