TEPCO work with US in decommissioning Fukushima No.1 plant

» TEPCO work with US in decommissioning Fukushima No.1 plant

2013/11/02

TEPCO will work with the U.S. Department of Energy in decommissioning the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant and the accumulation of radioactive water, according to TEPCO President Mr. Hirose.

Hirose said he agreed to accept the offer of help during talks with U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz as they visited Fukushima No. 1 on Nov.1st to inspect preparations to remove fuel rods from the reactor 4 storage pool.

Final preparations are being made to remove fuel rods from the uncovered cooling pool of unit 4. Removing them is the first major step in a decommissioning process that is expected to take decades.

Moniz said on Nov. 1st “As Japan continues to chart its sovereign path forward on the cleanup at the Fukushima site and works to determine the future of (its) energy economy, the United States stands ready to continue assisting our partners in this daunting yet indispensable task.”

Despite public fears over potential radiation risks from the No. 1 plant, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has pushed for a restart of the country’s other nuclear power stations, which are currently all shut down for safety checks.

Moniz said he expects atomic power to remain a crucial part of the energy mix around the world as nations try to mitigate global warming.He said “the success of the cleanup also has global significance. So we all have a direct interest in seeing that the next steps are taken well, efficiently and safely.”

<Media Report>
U.S. to help with No. 1 shutdown (Japan Times)

U.S. energy boss eyes more help for No. 1 (Japan Times)

U.S. energy chief offers Japan aid with nuke cleanup (Asahi Newspaper)

TEPCO, U.S. to cooperate in Fukushima nuke plant cleanup (Asahi Newspaper)

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