Nuclear News Thread

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This will be a regular thread highlighting good news to offset the bullshit regularly spouted by scientific illiterates.

NuScale Power Signs Collaboration Agreement with the U.S. Reactor Forging Consortium

NuScale Power Signs Collaboration Agreement with the U.S. Reactor Forging Consortium
04/22/2022

This remarkable collaboration will strengthen supply chain capabilities as NuScale Power approaches commercialization

Grant secured through Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for work with Concurrent Technologies and North American Forgemasters

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, NuScale Power and the U.S. Reactor Forging Consortium (RFC), comprised of North American Forgemasters (NAF), Scot Forge, and ATI Forged Products, announced they have signed a Collaboration Agreement to leverage the existing robust forging supply chain in the U.S., to prepare NuScale to deploy its small modular reactor (SMR) technology to customers worldwide and to support, retain, and expand U.S. manufacturing jobs.

The RFC is the combination of highly qualified expert suppliers of nuclear-grade forgings for the worldwide nuclear industry. The combined three companies act as the only fully integrated manufacturer of large alloy and stainless steel open die, seamless rolled ring, and large uniquely-shaped forgings (heads with integral nozzles) in the Western Hemisphere with as-forged piece weights exceeding 160 tons.

Under the Collaboration Agreement, the RFC and NuScale will cooperate in design for manufacturability reviews for forged geometries to reduce welding, chemical composition tailoring and optimized configuration for fabrication. The collaboration will support the U.S. supply chain planning as NuScale approaches near term commercialization of the NuScale Power Modules™ (NPM).

The Collaboration Agreement supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) report released earlier this year, “America’s Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition,” designed to retain and develop U.S. jobs through the exploration of mutually beneficial domestic business relationships. This includes, but is not limited to, U.S. and State Government grants and funding opportunities, development of FC member company capabilities and capacities, and other U.S. manufacturing opportunities.

Consortium member NAF is currently partnering with Pennsylvania-based Center for Advanced Nuclear Manufacturing, operated by Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), on a full production size shell research project that will focus on the use of austenitic stainless steel for reactor and containment vessels in SMRs and advance reactors. Financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Economic Development, NAF in collaboration with its joint venture owners Scot Forge and ELLWOOD Group, INC. will perform melting, forging, heat treating, rough machining, mechanical testing, and non-destructive testing while CTC oversees the development and performs independent technical evaluations of the forged material. This partnership will serve to create jobs by establishing a supply chain in Pennsylvania and ultimately benefit the overall development of SMRs and advanced reactor deployment.

The RFC partners are strategically located across the U.S. and are helping NuScale strengthen its U.S. supply chain. NAF has its principal office in New Castle, Pennsylvania; Scot Forge is headquartered in Spring Grove, Illinois; and ATI Forged Products has its office in Cudahy, Wisconsin. NAF, Scot Forge, and ATI have previously worked collaboratively on the refinement of designs and manufacturing feasibility of large nuclear grade forgings for the NPM.

About NuScale Power

NuScale Power is poised to meet the diverse energy needs of customers across the world. It has developed a new modular light water reactor nuclear power plant to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, hydrogen production and other process heat applications. The groundbreaking NuScale Power Module™ (NPM), a small, safe, pressurized water reactor, can generate 77 MWe of electricity and can be scaled to meet customer needs. The VOYGR™-12 power plant is capable of generating 924 MWe, and NuScale also offers four-module VOYGR-4 (308 MWe) and six-module VOYGR-6 (462 MWe) plants and other configurations based on customer needs. The majority investor in NuScale is Fluor Corporation, a global engineering, procurement, and construction company with more than 70 years supporting nuclear projects.

NuScale is headquartered in Portland, Ore. and has offices in Corvallis, Ore.; Rockville, Md.; Charlotte, N.C.; Richland, Wash.; and London, UK. Follow us on Twitter: @NuScale_Power, Facebook: NuScale Power, LLC, LinkedIn: NuScale-Power, and Instagram: nuscale_power. Visit NuScale Power's website.

On December 14, 2021, NuScale announced a definitive business combination agreement with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: SV, SVSVW). Upon the closing of the business combination, NuScale will become publicly traded under the new ticker symbol “SMR.” Additional information about the transaction can be viewed here:

https://www.nuscalepower.com/about-us/investors

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Molten Salt Reactors Leading Advanced Nuclear Technology

Read more here https://www.nanalyze.com/2021/03/mol...ar-technology/

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In search of the practical advanced reactor

Danish start-up Seaborg has a new concept in reactor design that promises clean and reliable power in a small package. Bringing it to market requires innovation from a technical team growing under co-founder and CTO Eirik Eide Pettersen.

The story of Seaborg’s technology begins around 60 years ago with experimental reactors at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US, which made key achievements that Seaborg wants to scale up and build upon.

Read more: https://www.thomas-thor.com/us/in-se...anced-reactor/

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Modular Molten Salt Nuclear Power for Maritime Propulsion

Evolving modern modular molten salt nuclear technology incurs comparatively lower cost while using a zero-pressure reactor and lower non-weapons grade uranium fuel. A module measuring 13 feet by 23 feet using a briefcase-sized load of solid fuel weighing 440 pounds could deliver 100 MW of thermal energy for up to 25 years. This potentially cost-competitive technology has potential for future commercial ship propulsion, along with multiple stationary floating power generation applications.

Introduction

Several navies around the world operate scaled-down versions of nuclear power stations aboard ships and submarines to provide propulsion and ancillary power. The onboard nuclear reactors are cooled by high-pressure water and many (including the U.S. Navy’s reactors) require weapons-grade uranium for fuel. While such propulsion technology is suitable for a naval vessel, it has zero application in commercial civilian ship propulsion.

New developments in nuclear technology are based on an old idea involving the molten salt reactor, which can operate free from high pressure water and offer greater long-term operational safety while being suitable for mass production, reducing capital cost.

The technology uses solid non-weapons grade uranium fuel mixed into a chloride salt that melts at 750 degrees F in a pressure-free reactor. Any mixture that should ever leak out of the reactor would cool and solidify, free from any explosion. For maritime propulsion, the technology is comparable to a battery that holds sufficient charge to provide up to 25 years of propulsion at variable power settings. The carbon-free propulsion system saves many years of expense on fuel oil for transoceanic propulsion, providing the maritime industry with an economic and environmental case for its use.

Power output

The modular molten salt reactor delivers up to 100 MW of thermal energy at sufficient temperature to generate steam to activate turbines, which drive electrical generators. Unlike earlier nuclear technology that has to operate continually at constant power output, the molten salt reactor can rapidly adjust its power output and adapt to external demand. A single module could deliver between 4,000 and 26,000 horsepower in either propulsive or stationary floating generator station applications.

The generating system would run on steam power and used seawater to cool the condensers when required when operating at elevated levels of output, with potential for organic Rankine-cycle engines to convert a portion of the exhaust heat to useable power.

Many vessel operators reduce sailing speed to 12 knots to save fuel and reduce engine exhaust emissions, while others sail their ships at 18 to 24 knots. A trio of modular molten salt nuclear reactors connected to steam power conversion could provide sufficient power to sail the largest bulk carriers and the largest container ships economically at elevated speed. Slower ships could use a single molten salt reactor as a primary source of propulsion, perhaps with a back-up piston or turbine engine.

Transportation terminals

Many advances are occurring in electric battery storage technology applied to the transportation sector. This includes short-sea maritime, commercial roadway, railway and even short-haul airline propulsion. There are many locations internationally where maritime ports are located within close proximity to airports, both of which connect directly or indirectly to road and railway transportation. Future battery-electric propulsion provides opportunity to install modular molten salt reactor technology at major transportation terminals to provide energy recharge for a variety of short-sea maritime vessels, commuter aircraft, trucks, buses and even railway technology powered by any of batteries, overhead cable or third rail.

At some locations, there may be scope to use floating technology to carry several modular reactors, the result of seasonal peak traffic at some major transportation terminals. Floating technology could move internationally to spend a few weeks to a few months at locations requiring peak seasonal electric power. Land based modular reactors located next to the ocean would provide base-load power throughout the year. Modular reactors would be able to generate hydrogen for mainly aircraft propulsion, with hydrogen also being made available to some forms of maritime, railway and road vehicle propulsion.

Reusing spent fuel

Molten salt nuclear technology has the potential to reuse spent fuel from older nuclear power stations. It can do so at a very high level of safety, eliminating high-pressure water from the reactor while the molten salt material contains the radiation. Reusing reprocessed spent fuel offers a long-term cost advantage in terms of the expense of hydrocarbon oil fuel. As the fuel approaches expiration, much of it is recyclable via reprocessing while non-recyclable material would be cast in concrete and stored until full expiration after a period of about 100 years.

Conclusion

The modern modular molten salt nuclear reactor has potential to fulfill multiple applications in the maritime sector, including propulsion and floating power generation. It has the potential to power a commercial vessel for the entirety of its normal lifespan without refueling.

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MIT joins a major startup backed by Bill Gates to build a viable fusion machine
The goal is to build the world's first burning plasma net energy machine.

https://interestingengineering.com/m...fusion-machine

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Uganda’s plans for first nuclear power station approved

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has approved Uganda’s plan to build East Africa’s first nuclear power station.

A statement from the government of Uganda said Aline des Cloizeaux, the IAEA’s director for Africa, had told Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni of the approval on Monday, reports Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Des Cloizeaux is reported to have said: “We have concluded that Uganda is ready for the plant. We in the agency are ready for all the support through training so that the project becomes reality.”

An International IAEA team of experts conducted an eight-day mission to Uganda to review its infrastructure development for a nuclear programme in December.

https://www.globalconstructionreview...tion-approved/

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A new theoretical upgrade could unlock vastly greater amounts of fusion power

Raising the tokamak fuel limit to new heights.

The world's largest fusion experiment, ITER, may be able to unleash more power than previously thought.

That's because a team of scientists from the Swiss Plasma Center, one of the world's leading nuclear fusion research institutes, released a study updating a foundational principle of plasma generation, a press statement reveals.

Their research shows that the upcoming ITER tokamak can operate using twice the amount of hydrogen that was believed to be its full capacity, meaning it could generate vast amounts more nuclear fusion energy than previously thought.

Raising the bar for nuclear fusion
"One of the limitations in making plasma inside a tokamak is the amount of hydrogen fuel you can inject into it," explained Paolo Ricci, from the Swiss Plasma Center at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL).

A new high-energy laser can take down large drones and mortars
"Since the early days of fusion, we've known that if you try to increase the fuel density, at some point there would be what we call a 'disruption' — basically you totally lose the confinement, and plasma goes wherever," Ricci continued. "So in the eighties, people were trying to come up with some kind of law that could predict the maximum density of hydrogen that you can put inside a tokamak."

In 1988, fusion scientist Martin Greenwald published a famous law correlating fuel density with a tokamak's minor radius (the radius of the spherical reactor's inner circle) as well as the current that flows in the plasma maintained in the tokamak. The law, named the "Greenwald limit", became a foundational principle of research into nuclear fusion, and it has guided the strategy behind the world's largest fusion experiment, Europe's ITER.

https://interestingengineering.com/u...r-fusion-power

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Nuclear is clearly the way to go. The tree huggers will fight it tooth and nail.

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Nuclearelectrica and NuScale sign MoU, site chosen for SMR

24 May 2022

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) means that NuScale, Nuclearelectrica and E-INFRA will carry out engineering studies, technical analyses and licensing activities for the site of a former thermal power plant at Doicești, the location selected for Romania's first small modular reactor.

Romania’s Nuclearelectrica and the US firm NuScale, plus the owner of the proposed side, E-INFRA, signed the MoU at a workshop organised in Bucharest by the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) in partnership with the US Department of Commerce.

Last year USTDA gave a USD1.2 million grant to Nuclearelectrica to identify and evaluate potential sites for a small modular reactor (SMR). Nuclearelectrica’s CEO Cosmin Ghiță, said the selected site fully met the criteria and "is available in a timely manner to meet Romania’s objectives for the deployment of SMRs in this decade and to enable Romania to become a hub for the deployment of small modular reactors in the region".

NuScale’s SMR technology is the first to have gained approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in August 2020.

Romania’s energy minister Virgil Popescu said: "I thank our American partners for supporting Romania's nuclear programmes, a bilateral strategic partnership started in the 1980s. I am proud that Romania's over 50 years of experience in the field of nuclear energy is recognised and confirmed with every step forward, which allows us to become one of the first countries to implement the innovative and safe technology of small modular reactors."

Nuclearelectrica’s Ghiță said: "The choice of location and the conclusion of the MoU with NuScale and E-INFRA advance the implementation of NuScale technology and take place almost three years after our first MoU with NuScale, during which time we analysed the technology, its safety, maturity and preparation for implementation, respecting international and national criteria. We are confident in the potential that the Doicești site has to host the first NuScale SMR in Europe. Preliminary site assessments show that safety standards for nuclear power plants can be met in all respects. The site will also be subject to further examinations in accordance with standard requirements during the licensing process."

John Hopkins, president and CEO of NuScale, said: "Today's announcement is a further step in the partnership with Nuclearelectrica to develop NuScale technology for small modular reactors in Romania and to support the achievement of climate goals, while benefiting from economic growth. We are pleased to work with Nuclearelectrica and E-INFRA in the next stage of site analysis and to demonstrate the benefits of our technology to Romanians."

Teofil Mureșan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of E-INFRA, a holding company that includes Nova Power & Gas, said: "The old coal-fired power plant in Doicești will return to the National Energy System, with the same installed power, in an ultra-modern, sustainable technology, with a long life. It is a replicable model, almost perfect from an energy and economic point of view, in which the new energy capacity is integrated using the existing connections to the utilities."

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/A...U,-site-chosen

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European regulators to cooperate on Nuward SMR licensing
06 June 2022

France's Nuward small modular reactor (SMR) design will be the case study for a European early joint regulatory review led by the French nuclear safety regulator with the participation of the Czech and Finnish nuclear regulators, EDF has announced.


The design concept of the Nuward SMR (Image: TechnicAtome)
The review - to be carried out by France's Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN), Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) and the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) - will be based on the current set of national regulations from each country, the highest international safety objectives and reference levels, and up-to-date knowledge and relevant good practice, EDF noted.

"Through technical discussions, this collaboration will help ASN, STUK and SÚJB increase their respective knowledge of each other's regulatory practices at the European level and improve Nuward's ability to anticipate the challenges of international licensing and meet future market needs," it added.

EDF said the implementation of SMRs and their competitiveness in the energy market requires not only the development of some key technology innovations, but also a serial production process and a clear regulatory framework.

"Harmonisation of regulations and requirements in Europe and beyond is thus an essential element to support aspirations of standardisation of design, in-factory series production and limited design adaptations to country-specific requirements," EDF said. "By this action EDF confirms its leading position in fostering European cooperation and supporting the acceleration of international SMR licensing, thereby creating momentum towards harmonisation of SMR regulations."

"EDF is pleased to advance its Nuward reactor as a test-case for this early joint SMR review which is pioneering multi-country European regulatory cooperation," said Xavier Ursat, EDF Group Senior Executive Director in charge of Engineering and New Nuclear Projects. "I warmly thank the French safety authority ASN and its European peers STUK and SÚJB for leading this approach and I confirm EDF's commitment to bringing its contribution to accelerate SMR deployment worldwide and play an essential part in achieving the net-zero target by 2050."

The Nuward project was launched in September 2019 by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), EDF, Naval Group and TechnicAtome. The Nuward - consisting of a 340 MWe SMR plant with two pressurised water reactors (PWRs) of 170 MWe each - has been jointly developed using France's experience in PWRs. The CEA has contributed to the development of the Nuward design with its skills in research and qualification, while utility EDF has helped through its experience in systems integration and operation. Naval defence company Naval Group has contributed its structures and modular experience to the project, with TechnicAtome providing its compact reactor design experience.

The technology is expected to replace old high CO2-emitting coal, oil and gas plants around the world and support other applications such as hydrogen production, urban and district heating or desalination.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/A...Nuward-licensi

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US Air Force confirms site for first microreactor
26 October 2021

The US Air Force has confirmed the Eielson base in Alaska as the facility planned to host its first small nuclear power plant. A microreactor of up to 5 MWe could be operational there as soon as 2027, according to Eielson.

"Energy is a critical asset to ensure mission continuity at our installations," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety, and Infrastructure Mark Correll in Eielson's 15 October announcement. "Microreactors are a promising technology for ensuring energy resilience and reliability, and are particularly well-suited for powering and heating remote domestic military bases like Eielson Air Force Base."

Eielson is currently sustained by its own coal power plant, which can produce up to 25 MWe but typically runs at 13-15 MWe, using up to 800 tonnes of coal every day. It also keeps 90 days' supply on site and needs a facility to thaw the coal. The base is independent but does have a connection to the grid, which is useful for frequency control.

The planned microreactor would supplement this with 1-5 MWe of nuclear power. Eielson said the microreactor would be owned commercially, operated by the owner's trained staff and licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

'Most installations'

Eielson served as the reference case for a 2018 roadmap for microreactor deployment by the Nuclear Energy Institute which was supported by the US Air Force, which gave the same timeline to operation in 2027. It stated that "Most Department of Defense (DoD) installations will seek one or more microreactors in the 2-10 MWe range."

Microreactors offer a range of benefits attractive to military bases. Chiefly, they remove reliance on the grid, which is "vulnerable to prolonged outage due to a variety of threats" and can provide both the electricity and heat that bases need. Moreover, the US DoD sees its needs for electricity growing as it requires power to desalinate water, produce hydrogen and support increasing data processing as well as to power robots and directed-energy weapons such as lasers.

There is currently one microreactor vendor in the NRC's licensing process, Oklo, which submitted an application for its 1.5 MWe Aurora design in March 2020. Many other designs are in development by various vendors, some of which are in pre-licensing relationships with the NRC.

A separate DoD project called Project Pele is looking to create a small nuclear power option for forward bases of the US military, which have similar needs to other facilities but especially want to reduce reliance on long and risky supply lines of water and liquid fuels.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/A...t-microreactor

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Rolls-Royce's 'unique' reactors will power one million homes each to tackle energy crisis

THE UK could soon lead the way in ditching Russian gas as Rolls-Royce's Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are set to have a competitive advantage over the rest.

While other SMRs are being developed all around the world, Rolls-Royce believes that its larger design and experience set the company apart from the rest.

Dan Gould, Head of Communications at Rolls-Royce SMR said: “Rolls-Royce SMR’s nuclear power station design is based on well-established and understood Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) technology – currently, there are hundreds of these kinds of reactors operating around the world (Sizewell B in Suffolk and the Hinkley Point C station currently under construction are both PWR reactors).


”We have a deep knowledge and experience of designing and manufacturing nuclear reactor technology from six decades of experience with the UK submarine fleet - no other SMR company in the world today possesses such depth of nuclear reactor design, manufacturing or technology experience.

470MW (enough to power around a million homes) is the highest output we can achieve and still be able to build the largest components in a factory and transport them on standard road vehicle to site for assembly."

According to experts, Rolls-Royce’s reactor isn’t strictly an “SMR”, as these tend to have a power capacity of a maximum of 300MW, while theirs is much bigger at 470MW.

While bigger than other SMRs, their reactors will still be far smaller and cheaper than conventional nuclear reactors and can be built much more quickly.

The company has submitted the design to the Government and is pending approval.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/scien...-energy-crisis

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Rolls-Royce's 'unique' reactors will power one million homes each to tackle energy crisis

THE UK could soon lead the way in ditching Russian gas as Rolls-Royce's Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are set to have a competitive advantage over the rest.

While other SMRs are being developed all around the world, Rolls-Royce believes that its larger design and experience set the company apart from the rest.

Dan Gould, Head of Communications at Rolls-Royce SMR said: “Rolls-Royce SMR’s nuclear power station design is based on well-established and understood Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) technology – currently, there are hundreds of these kinds of reactors operating around the world (Sizewell B in Suffolk and the Hinkley Point C station currently under construction are both PWR reactors).


”We have a deep knowledge and experience of designing and manufacturing nuclear reactor technology from six decades of experience with the UK submarine fleet - no other SMR company in the world today possesses such depth of nuclear reactor design, manufacturing or technology experience.

470MW (enough to power around a million homes) is the highest output we can achieve and still be able to build the largest components in a factory and transport them on standard road vehicle to site for assembly."

According to experts, Rolls-Royce’s reactor isn’t strictly an “SMR”, as these tend to have a power capacity of a maximum of 300MW, while theirs is much bigger at 470MW.

While bigger than other SMRs, their reactors will still be far smaller and cheaper than conventional nuclear reactors and can be built much more quickly.

The company has submitted the design to the Government and is pending approval.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/scien...-energy-crisis

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Dream of unlimited, clean nuclear fusion energy within reach

The old joke is that nuclear fusion is always 30 years away. Yet the dream of abundant clean energy is no laughing matter as we meet an ITER researcher to catch up on progress at the reactor facility.

https://phys.org/news/2022-06-unlimi...on-energy.html

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Leave it to the Finn's to do what the US seem incapable of doing due to NIMBYs and loony Lefties.

First five disposal tunnels excavated at Finnish repository

01 July 2022

The excavation of the first five actual disposal tunnels has been completed at the Onkalo underground used nuclear fuel repository near Olkiluoto, Finnish radioactive waste management company Posiva Oy announced.

Posiva said the final rock-blasting detonation was carried out on 18 June and the end of the fifth tunnel was completed on 21 June. The total length of the tunnels, whose excavation began in May 2021, is about 1700 metres. The excavation contractor was YIT Suomi Oy, which has been excavating tunnels for Posiva for several years.

"Now the construction of the disposal tunnels will continue with the reinforcement of the tunnels and the levelling of the tunnel floor," noted programme manager Kimmo Kemppainen.

Posiva said holes will be drilled in the first five disposal tunnels to hold about 180 disposal canisters.

Used nuclear fuel will be placed in the bedrock, at a depth of about 450 metres. The disposal system consists of a tightly sealed iron-copper canister, a bentonite buffer enclosing the canister, a tunnel backfilling material made of swellable clay, the seal structures of the tunnels and premises, and the enclosing rock.

It is estimated that 100 deposition tunnels will be excavated during the 100-year operational period of the final disposal facility, and will have a total length of about 35 kilometres. The maximum length of each tunnel will be 350 metres. The tunnels will be about 4.5 metres high and about 3.5 metres wide.

The excavation of the first five tunnels is part of Posiva's approximately EUR500 million (USD520 million) EKA project that covers all the final disposal facilities needed, including both their construction and equipment, as well as the start of the final disposal operation in the first deposition tunnel.

The repository - the first in the world for used fuel - is expected to begin operations in the mid-2020s. A similar repository is planned at Forsmark in Sweden.