Abstract

Finland’s Onkalo facility, the world’s first operational deep geological repository (DGR) for spent nuclear fuel, represents a rare and instructive success in the global challenge of long-term nuclear waste management. In contrast to stalled initiatives like Yucca Mountain, a proposed DGR first proposed in the 1970’s in the United States, Onkalo offers critical insights into the conditions that enable progress in this technically and politically complex and intertwined domain. Through an analysis of archival documents, national policy frameworks, safety case materials, and interdisciplinary social science literature, four key contributors of success emerge: Finland’s historically stable and pragmatic approach to nuclear energy policy; early, transparent, and sustained public consultation processes that fostered trust and social license; deliberate incorporation of local heritage, environmental stewardship, and municipal consent into repository siting; and rigorous adherence to technical excellence in design, monitoring, and long-term safeguards. Collectively, these factors created a resilient and adaptive governance structure equipped to handle uncertainty, capable of building legitimacy, and guaranteeing public and institutional support over decades. As other nations confront the enduring question of how to manage high-level radioactive waste, Onkalo serves as a powerful case study encompassing replicable mechanisms, demonstrating that technically sound and socially acceptable solutions are achievable when science, engineering, and community engagement are deeply integrated from the outset.

Comments

not published paper, in the process of working towards submission.

Keywords

Onkalo, nuclear, policy

Date of this Version

12-8-2025

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