Skanska to build underground caverns for Swedish radioactive waste repository
Skanska has secured a SEK 1 billion contract to construct six new underground rock caverns at the SFR repository in Forsmark, Sweden. The expansion will significantly increase storage capacity for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste.
Skanska has been awarded a contract worth approximately SEK 1 billion by Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB) to build six new underground rock caverns at the SFR repository in Forsmark, Sweden. The facility stores short-lived low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste.
The contract moves the project from its design stage to production. Skanska's scope includes excavation, civil engineering, earthworks, water and sanitation installations, and tunnel lining. The caverns will be constructed at depths of 120 to 140 meters.
This expansion will add approximately 117,000 cubic meters of new storage capacity to the existing repository, which currently holds around 63,000 cubic meters. The project is part of SKB's plan to accommodate waste from Swedish nuclear power operations and future decommissioning activities.
Construction is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2026, with Skanska's work expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2028. The expanded facility is planned to begin test operations between 2030 and 2031.