NEA/COM(2012)4
Paris, 13 June 2012

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Just released: International peer review results on a radioactive waste repository in Sweden

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has just presented to the Swedish authorities the outcome of an international peer review on "The Post-closure Radiological Safety Case for a Spent Fuel Repository in Sweden". The review examines the post-closure radiological safety analysis report (SR-Site) produced by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) in support of the application for a general licence to construct and operate a spent nuclear fuel geological repository in the municipality of Östhammar. If granted, this will be the first general licence worldwide for a spent fuel repository.

The review provides the Swedish government, the public and relevant organisations with an international reference about the maturity of SKB's spent fuel disposal programme vis-à-vis best practices in long-term disposal safety and radiological protection. It will also provide valuable input for the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) in its further review of the licence application.

Key findings

The international peer review team, consisting of ten international specialists and one international observer, has concluded the following:

  • From an international perspective, the SR-Site report is sufficient and credible for the licensing decision at hand.
  • In principle, SKB's spent fuel disposal programme is capable of fulfilling the industrial and safety requirements relevant for the next licensing steps.
  • The SKB long-term safety case provides a convincing illustration and technical basis for both the feasibility of the future repository and its radiological long-term safety. Recommendations for improvements are outlined in the final report.
  • SR-Site and its supporting documents cover all major aspects that need to be developed in the future as the project moves from the conceptual to the industrial phase.
  • While the international review team did not find any major omissions, improvements regarding completeness at a lower level are identified in its report.
  • SR-Site can be described as a preparatory preliminary safety analysis report. Once the general license is granted, in accordance with Swedish legislation additional licensing will be required for the construction and operation of the repository. This stepwise approach is a well-established international practice.

Background information

A major NEA activity in the field of radioactive waste management is the organisation of independent, international peer reviews of national studies and projects. At the request of the Swedish government, the NEA Secretariat established an international review team (IRT) to perform the peer review cited above. The IRT consisted of ten international specialists from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the United States and the NEA Secretariat, and one international observer. The IRT was led by Michael Sailer of the Oeko-Institut e.V. in Germany. The SSM served as the contact point between the IRT and the Swedish counterparts.

The experts relied on information exchanges with SKB staff during working seminars and site visits in Sweden. In keeping with NEA procedures for independent reviews, neither the Swedish government nor SKB have commented on this report, although SKB and SSM helped ensure factual correctness.

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