Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, 2nd Finnish National Report as referred to in Article 32 of the Convention

Finland signed the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management on 2 October 1997 and deposited the tools of acceptance on 10 February 2000. The Convention entered into force on 18 June 2001. The major generators of radioactive waste in Finland are the two nuclear power plants, the Loviisa and Olkiluoto plants. The Loviisa plant has two PWR units, operated by Fortum Power and Heat Oy, and the Olkiluoto plant two BWR units, operated by Teollisuuden Voima Oy. These power plant units were connected to the electrical network between 1977 and 1980. The construction of a new PWR unit started in 2005 in Olkiluoto. It is scheduled to be operational in 2009. Both operating nuclear power plants have interim storages for spent fuel as well as facilities for the management of low and intermediate level waste. The facility for final disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes was taken into operation at Olkiluoto in 1992 and the facility for disposal of low level waste at Loviisa in 1998. Disposal of spent nuclear fuel is under preparation and has passed the first authorization step, so called Government’s Decision-in-Principle, which was endorsed by the Parliament in 2001. The construction of an underground rock characterisation facility started in 2004. No decommissioning projects of nuclear facilities are underway. Other generators of radioactive waste are the research reactor FiR 1 and various small users of radioactive substances, such as hospitals, universities, research institutes and industry. Finland has only insignificant amounts of radioactive waste generated from past practices requiring further management measures. This second National Report includes most of the content of the first National Report, supplemented with more detailed information of the practical implementation of the regulations. Furthermore, the development in waste management policies and practices during the reporting period is described. The major development is related to the preparation for the building of a spent fuel disposal facility, with the underground rock characterisation facility being constructed in Olkiluoto. The issues requiring further development to enhance the safety are related to storage and disposal of small user waste and spent nuclear fuel. Furthermore, the regulations need to be amended to cover provisions for decommissioning.