Crystalline Rock as a Repository for Swedish Spent Nuclear Fuel

The granitic bedrock at Forsmark (Sweden) provides a well suited host rock for a geological repository in which to safely dispose of spent nuclear fuel. The properties of the host rock have been thoroughly investigated through boreholes from the surface. This repository will be at a depth of approximately 500 m where the spent nuclear fuel will be contained in 6,000 copper canisters able to withstand potential earthquakes and glaciation events. The canisters will be surrounded by a bentonite clay buffer to prevent canister corrosion by groundwater. The safety assessment in support of the site’s license application suggests that almost all of the canisters will remain tight even one million years into the future.