SMR Siting and Waste Management

This SAFER2028-funded project investigates small modular reactor (SMR) spent nuclear fuel, waste management, siting, organisational factors and stakeholder engagement. It is a joint project by VTT, GTK and LUT, coordinated by VTT.

This project studies what kind of radioactive waste small modular reactors produce and how it can be managed safely. It also studies how locations for small modular reactors can be selected. Furthermore, it studies how organisations need to prepare for small modular reactors. Finally, it assesses what the local stakeholders and residents think of SMRs, their siting and waste management.

Spent nuclear fuel from light water SMRs is quite similar to conventional nuclear power plants in finland, if their burnup and enrichment are similar. In such cases, waste management could be carried out with current methods. It has also assessed ways to geologically site SMR plant and waste management facility locations.