Facilities for intermediate storage of spent fuel and HLW and for final disposal of ILW and LLW together with a system for sea transportation have been in operation in Sweden for more then 15 years. To complete the 'back end system' the remaining parts are to build facilities for encapsulation and final storage of spent fuel and HLW. The Swedish reference method for final disposal of spent fuel, KBS-3, is to encapsulate the fuel elements in copper canisters and dispose them in a deep geological repository. The Swedish program up to 2001 was focused on the establishment of general acceptance of the reference method for final storage and SKB's selection of candidate sites for a deep geological repository. In the end of year 2000 SKB presented a report as a base for a Government decision about the siting process. This report gave the background for the selection of three candidate sites. It also presented the program for geological surveys of the candidate sites as well as the background for the choice of the method for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel and HLW. In the end of 2001 the Swedish government endorsed the plan for the site selection phase and stated that the KBS-3 design of the repository shall be used as the planning base for the work. Permissions were also granted for the fieldwork from the municipalities of Forsmark and Oskarshamn where the candidate sites are located. Site investigations on these two sites started during 2002. The technical development and demonstration of the KBS 3-method is ongoing at the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory and the Canister Laboratory. The goal for the coming five year period is to select the site for the repository and apply for licenses to construct and operate the facilities for encapsulation and final storage of spent fuel. The encapsulation plant and the repository are planned to be in operation around year 2015.
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