RD&D-Programme 2004 - SKB

A1
Introduction
A1.1 Background
The political framework for the current stage of the spent nuclear fuel programme was
established by the Government decision in November 2001 regarding SKB’s integrated
account of method and site selection (RD&D-K), followed by the concerned municipalities’
decision processes regarding whether or not to participate, completed in April 2002. With
the external framework in place, but still with a great deal of planning flexibility within this
framework, SKB decided to carry out a review and revision of its programmes and plans.
Attention was first directed towards the site investigation phase, i.e. the stage up until the permit
applications for the encapsulation plant and the deep repository have been approved. However,
in view of the many links, in terms of timing and activities, to longer-term planning and to other
parts of the programme, the review was extended to include all of SKB’s activities.
The regulatory review of RD&D-Programme 2001 occasioned additional programme revisions.
In the review statement regarding RD&D-Programme 2001 which SKI submitted to the
Government in March 2002, the Inspectorate called for a document from SKB that would
explain more clearly SKB’s plans for the remainder of the spent nuclear fuel programme. As a
reason for this request, SKI said that the authorities concerned need to know which regulatory
reviews are anticipated over the next ten years and how they depend on each other. This was
considered above all necessary for the authorities’ own planning, but also to describe in other
contexts how SKB will achieve the goal of a safe final disposal of the nuclear waste. In its
review statement on RD&D-Programme 2001, SSI had previously offered similar viewpoints
but had given reasons that more emphasized the need to clarify links between SKB’s RD&D
activities and the implementation of the nuclear fuel programme so as to better be able to judge
whether the research and development described by SKB is appropriate and adequate.
In its statement to the Government, SKI recommended that SKB be required to compile the
requested material and present it no later than in connection with SKB RD&D-Programme
2004. Based on this, the Government stated in a decision from December 2002 that they
“assume that SKB is conducting a dialogue with concerned authorities and municipalities
and that an account of SKB’s timetable with associated plan of action concerning a safe final
disposal of the nuclear waste will be included in RD&D-Programme 2004”. As has emerged
from subsequent consultations and on other occasions, SKB essentially shared the opinions of
the authorities regarding the need for clearer plans of action.
Against this background, SKB began the work of clarifying and updating its own short- and
long-term planning and compiling the material requested by the regulatory authorities. A
milestone was passed in the spring of 2003, when the board of SKB decided to revise the
timetable for the spent nuclear fuel programme. A similar revision has since been done of the
programme for management of low- and intermediate-level waste (LILW). The revised plans
have been presented on different consultation occasions. This includes the aforementioned
timetable for the whole deep repository project, as well as the planning for encapsulation, the
remaining site investigations, and coming system and safety assessments. Figure 1 shows the
main features of the long-term plan which SKB is now following.
This appendix is the requested plan of action. It presents and comments on SKB’s planning
for a safety final disposal of the nuclear waste and other radioactive waste from the Swedish
nuclear power plants. The focus lies on the implementation of the spent nuclear fuel programme
and the period up to 2008, including timetables, interim goals and links between the different
parts of the programme. The LILW programme is described schematically. With regard to
ongoing or planned research and development work aimed at making implementation possible,
reference is made to the main report.
RD&D-Programme 2004 361