# Finland Onkalo nuclear waste repository development > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/finland-onkalo-nuclear-waste-repository-development > Updated: 2026-08-23T06:26:19.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) has endorsed an operating licence for the Onkalo facility on Olkiluoto Island. Developed by Posiva, the Onkalo repository is the world’s first geological facility designed for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The project aims to encapsulate high-level fuel in iron-copper canisters 400–450 meters underground to ensure containment for up to one million years. Following a four-and-a-half-year review process, regulatory authorities have moved toward allowing the underground burial of the waste, with operations expected to commence as early as next year. STUK Director General Petteri Tiippana described the endorsement as “a significant step in the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel that has been prepared for more than 40 years.” ## Timeline ### 2026-08-23: Nuclear waste management: Japan reuses decontamination soil as Finland nears repository launch Japan plans to reuse Fukushima decontamination soil at government sites to reduce waste, while Finland prepares to launch the world’s first permanent high-level nuclear waste repository. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nuclear-waste-management-japan-reuses-decontamination-soil-as-finland-nears-repository-launch ### 2026-08-04: Finland's regulator approves operating licence for world’s first nuclear waste repository Finland's nuclear regulator STUK approved an operating licence for the Onkalo repository, the first geological site for spent fuel, with operations slated from 2024 to 2070; final approval rests with the govt. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/finland-approves-license-for-worlds-first-nuclear-waste-repository --- Cite as: Finland Onkalo nuclear waste repository development. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/finland-onkalo-nuclear-waste-repository-development