» More than 100 specialists will be sent to Fukushima to accelerate dicommissioning work

2014/12/25

Japan Atomic Power Co. is working on plans to send a team of more than 100 specialists, backed up by robotic technology, to the beleaguered Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to accelerate decommissioning work there.

With more than a decade of experience in dismantling its Tokai power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture from 2001, the nuclear energy firm is expected to make up for delays in decommissioning the Fukushima complex, which went into triple meltdown after towering tsunami generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake swamped the plant in March 2011.

While TEPCO has 300 to 400 employees at the site, there are just 20 workers from outside companies to help safely scrap reactors.

TEPCO finished removing nuclear fuel at the No. 4 reactor on Dec. 20 and is expected to start full-scale dismantling of the more problematic Nos. 1 to 3 reactors soon.

However, due to difficulties in preventing the spread of radioactive substances and removing debris around the reactor, the removal of fuel at the No. 1 reactor is estimated to start two to five years later than originally planned.

Some of the procedures are likely too difficult for TEPCO to undertake on its own, as the utility does not have sufficient experience in decommissioning nuclear reactors.

Workers in protective suits undertook the removal of fuel from the No. 4 reactor in rotation, as radiation levels were relatively low there. However, as radiation levels are much higher at the No. 3 reactor, the removal of fuel from its storage pool has to be conducted using remote-controlled robots.

Such technology requires not only time to develop, but special skills to operate. Japan Atomic Power, which undertook the decommissioning of a commercial nuclear power plant for the first time in Japan, has been using remote-controlled robots to dismantle its Tokai facility. The company believes its experience in the field would be useful in helping TEPCO decommission the Fukushima reactors.

<Media Report>
Japan Atomic Power set to deploy 100 specialists to help with Fukushima dismantling (Asahi Newspaper)

Tags:decommissioning, decommissioning the reactors, news, plant workers

• Evacuation orders lifted in 3 municipalities today, one more tomorrow

• Court issues injunction to halt Takahama nuclear reactors

• Anti-nuclear group of India submitted a letter to the Japanese Government to oppose Japan-India nuclear agreement

• World Nuclear Victims Forum in Hiroshima closed with “Hiroshima Declaration”