Take a Look Inside a Unique Nuclear Waste Storage Facility Before It Goes Down will be sealed for 100 thousand years (6 photos)

The first images of the underground tunnels that will soon become a "tomb" have emerged. Finland's $4 billion Onkalo facility is the world's first nuclear waste repository.





The tunnel network is located about 450 m underground, 2 km from the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant.

Finland, one of the world's leaders in nuclear energy, has taken on the responsibility for the project to store and safely dispose of 6,500 tons of uranium waste. The complex was designed with durability in mind — it will operate for the next 100,000 years.



Finnish company Posiva plans to complete construction by 2026. The system will hold 3,250 copper capsules, each containing about two tons of spent nuclear fuel. The containers will be placed in shafts and filled with bentonite.

Bentonite is a natural non-toxic clay material that absorbs radiation.

After the final encapsulation, the entrance to the complex will be concreted and covered with soil.





According to Posiva representatives, future generations will be able to live in a world where hazardous materials are safely hidden underground and do not pose a threat to the environment.





Unlike traditional methods that involve placing spent fuel in stainless steel drums, concrete vaults or glass canisters, the tunnel system can overcome the challenges faced by other disposal methods.

While experts acknowledge the effectiveness of existing methods, debate continues over whether they can last for the long term.

Posiva claims its capsules and tunnels have been designed to withstand earthquakes and even ice ages, and can last up to a million years.