The establishment of a new storage facility for Denmark’s nuclear waste at Risø near Roskilde has been delayed again, now expected to be ready in 2030 at the earliest. Dansk Dekommissionering, responsible for the storage of radioactive waste, disclosed the information. The project has faced multiple postponements since its original target operation date in 2023, which was then moved to 2029.

Mikkel Øberg, director of radiation protection at Dansk Dekommissionering, acknowledged the extensiveness of the project and the involvement of numerous authorities. The ongoing concretization of the project has revealed the need for more discussions within the decision-making chain.

The majority of the current waste at Risø includes contaminated material from sources like hospitals and low-level waste such as old fire alarms. The amount of waste is estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 cubic meters.

In 2018, a political decision was made to upgrade the storage facilities at Risø to protect against threats like storm surges and climate change. It was also decided that the radioactive waste would be stored at Risø until 2073, after which a deep repository would be established.

The research station at Risø has been in operation since 1957, initially exploring the possibilities of nuclear energy. However, in 1985, the Danish Parliament decided against incorporating nuclear power into the Danish energy supply. In 2000, the last facility at Risø was decommissioned.

Recently, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has suggested the possibility of easing the ban on nuclear power. Venstre and Moderaterne, the other government parties, also are open to abolishing the ban.