The oldest human-made structures we know — the pyramids — have endured for a few thousand years. Now, Sweden is constructing something meant to endure for a staggering 100,000 years.
Their nuclear waste storage facility is designed to surpass the lifespan of every bridge or building ever created by humanity—by a factor of 100.
This facility will store approximately 12,000 tonnes of nuclear waste at a depth of 500 meters in rock that is 1.9 billion years old. The spent fuel will be sealed in corrosion-resistant copper canisters, each five meters long, and surrounded by clay before being buried.
But the scale of time is astonishing: while most infrastructure is built to last 50 to 100 years, Sweden is designing for 100 centuries. Finland’s nearly completed facility has demonstrated that it works—now, Sweden is proving it can be done again.
Sweden begins construction of spent nuclear fuel storage facility in Forsmark