Sweden Begins Construction of Nuclear Grave to Bury Radioactive Waste in Solid Rock for 100,000 Years

Written by Rafaela Fabris

Published on 17/01/2025 at 01:10

A Suécia vai enterrar os resíduos radioativos em cápsulas de cobre, protegidas por argila especial, dentro de túneis escavados a 500 metros de profundidade. Esse sistema foi planejado para garantir que o material fique isolado e seguro por 100.000 anos, sem risco de contaminação.

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Sweden Begins Construction of An Underground Repository in Forsmark Designed to Store 12,000 Tons of Radioactive Waste in Copper Capsules Protected by Clay, Buried 500 Meters Deep in 1.9 Billion-Year-Old Rock, Expected to Operate Until 2080.

When it comes to radioactive waste, the first question that comes to mind is: “What to do with waste that remains dangerous for thousands of years?” This challenging issue led Sweden to create a groundbreaking project: an underground repository to safely store nuclear waste for 100,000 years.

Why Is Storing Radioactive Waste So Challenging?

Nuclear energy is a powerful and relatively clean source, but it comes at a price: the highly dangerous waste it generates.

Radioactive waste can emit dangerous radiation for millennia. This material not only harms human health but also poses a threat to the environment, potentially contaminating soil, air, and water for generations.

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The Forsmark Project: Technology and Planning for the Future

The capsules will be carefully placed in tunnels built in an extremely ancient and stable rock bed. Remotely controlled machines will handle the entire process to ensure maximum safety and precision during storage.

Sweden has taken a step forward with the construction of the Forsmark repository, located in Söderviken, near the Forsmark nuclear power plant.

The repository for radioactive waste is being excavated in a 1.9 billion-year-old rock bed. This ancient and stable rock was chosen to ensure isolation and prevent any surface contamination.

The waste will be stored in 5-meter copper capsules designed to resist corrosion. Each capsule will be wrapped in special clay, which acts as an additional barrier to protect against potential leaks.

The repository will feature a network of 60 kilometers of tunnels. For 40 years, remote machines will place the capsules in the tunnels while new areas are excavated simultaneously.

Impact and Controversies Surrounding the Repository

Although it is an innovative solution, the Forsmark project faces challenges and criticism.

Swedish NGOs have raised concerns about the long-term safety of radioactive waste. Research suggests that copper capsules may face corrosion issues over time, increasing the risks of groundwater contamination.

Despite the criticisms, the Forsmark repository is an example of responsibility in nuclear waste management. It offers a safe and long-term alternative instead of temporary solutions that leave risks for future generations.

A Crucial Step for the Future of Nuclear Energy

The Swedish repository is not just a local solution but a global model.

As nuclear energy expands, the world needs definitive solutions to deal with waste. Countries like Finland are already adopting similar approaches, and others can learn from Sweden’s experience.

Nuclear energy is a key player in the fight against climate change. However, its success depends on safe strategies for handling radioactive waste. The Forsmark project is proof that it is possible to balance clean energy and environmental responsibility.

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Leandro

#114991

17/01/2025 18:43

“Vamos enterrar essa ****. Resolvemos nosso problema. Fo…se o futuro…100.000 anos ?…quem vai estar aqui para reclamar ? “

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Sweden Begins Construction of Nuclear Grave to Bury Radioactive Waste in Solid Rock for 100,000 Years

Sweden Begins Construction of An Underground Repository in Forsmark Designed to Store 12,000 Tons of Radioactive Waste in Copper Capsules Protected by Clay, Buried 500 Meters Deep in 1.9 Billion-Year-Old Rock, Expected to Operate Until 2080.

Why Is Storing Radioactive Waste So Challenging?

The Forsmark Project: Technology and Planning for the Future

Impact and Controversies Surrounding the Repository

A Crucial Step for the Future of Nuclear Energy

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Sweden Begins Construction of Nuclear Grave to Bury Radioactive Waste in Solid Rock for 100,000 Years

Sweden Begins Construction of An Underground Repository in Forsmark Designed to Store 12,000 Tons of Radioactive Waste in Copper Capsules Protected by Clay, Buried 500 Meters Deep in 1.9 Billion-Year-Old Rock, Expected to Operate Until 2080.

Why Is Storing Radioactive Waste So Challenging?

The Forsmark Project: Technology and Planning for the Future

Impact and Controversies Surrounding the Repository

A Crucial Step for the Future of Nuclear Energy

Gaddafi built the world’s largest artificial river under the Sahara — it’s 4,000 km of giant pipes that pump 40,000-year-old fossil water to entire cities in Libya.

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Discovery in Africa scares even scientists: a study published on April 23 reveals that the crust in Turkana has become so thin that it could pave the way for the continent’s division and the emergence of an ocean in the future, in a gigantic geological transformation.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

Two African countries will inaugurate in 4 days an 825-meter bridge suspended 90 meters high over a reservoir — it is the largest of three bridges of a megaproject that will supply millions of people.

Brazil spent R$ 1.9 billion on a giant bridge to Paraguay, and it is already finished, but no one can use it properly because the access points are not ready, and traffic remains blocked months later.

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