Expert group recommends options for Norwegian waste disposal

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

Established as an agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries in February 2018, Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND) is responsible for decommissioning of the Norwegian nuclear research facilities located at Halden and Kjeller and the related development of disposal solutions.

In November 2022, the Finnish-German-Norwegian consortium Geological Repositories for Norway (GeoReN) was awarded a framework agreement worth EUR40 million (USD41 million) to support Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning in the management of radioactive waste. The framework agreement covered the development of disposal solutions for used nuclear fuel and other radioactive waste streams in Norway. It included significant technical assistance in the upcoming years, with the GeoReN team as the sole provider of services as a single framework award.

The GeoReN consortium comprises A-Insinöörit Oy (AINS) of Finland, BGE Technology GmbH of Germany, Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), Mitta Oy of Finland, Posiva Solutions Oy of Finland and the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The consortium has received subcontracting assistance from Rambøll of Norway.

The group of experts was divided into two - one working on deep boreholes for the disposal of the most radioactive waste and the other working more broadly and considering landfills for different types of radioactive waste, from low-level to the most radioactive waste.

The groups have now settled on two main alternatives for the type of landfills they recommend that Norway should proceed with. For the high-level waste, a deep geological landfill is recommended, which is built as a rock hall 400-500 metres deep in the bedrock. This is the same solution as in Finland and Sweden. However, they do not rule out a deep borehole as an alternative.

For low and intermediate-level waste, it is recommended that a medium-depth geological repository be built, such as a rock vault or silo 100-200 metres deep. This is a solution that already exists in countries such as Slovenia, South Korea and Finland.

The group of experts has published two reports: one on the use of deep boreholes for used nuclear fuel and the other on the evaluation of disposal concepts for Norway.

"The final reports are a very good basis for the further process," said Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning's Marit Stokkeland Asklien and Peter Bennett, who have led the work on the studies. "Now the work will be used in a Concept Selection Study, before the government will process the results of this."

A concept study (KVU) is a professional study of alternative ways to solve a need. KVU is a state strategic study that is carried out for state investment projects with an estimated total cost of more than NOK1 billion (USD96.5 million).

"Safety assessments must be made, concepts must be further developed, basic surveys must be carried out, a suitable location must be found, relevant approvals must be obtained and a number of other steps must be taken," Asklien noted.

Although Norway does not currently operate any nuclear power plants, in June 2024 the government appointed a committee to conduct a broad review and assessment of various aspects of a possible future establishment of nuclear power in the country. It must deliver its report by 1 April 2026.