Used Fuel Management in Canada, Finland and Sweden – Similarities and Differences

Abstract

Of the nations that have comprehensive programs in place for long-term management of used nuclear fuel, Canada, Finland and Sweden have chosen similar reference concepts: the used fuel will be encapsulated in copper containers, which in turn will be surrounded by bentonite clay and emplaced in a deep geological repository (DGR).With regards to implementation status, Finland – as the first country in the world – received a construction licence for its DGR in November 2015. In Sweden, the site selection process has also concluded and the licence application is currently undergoing regulatory review. In Canada, site selection was initiated in 2010 and remains in progress.By comparing key features of the countries’ respective prerequisites, selected approach, current status and future plans, similarities and differences between the Canadian, Finnish and Swedish programs are explored. Relative advantages and disadvantages are highlighted and discussed.