Images taken deep inside melted Fukushima reactor show damage, but leave many questions unanswered
9 months ago

Images taken deep inside melted Fukushima reactor show damage, but leave many questions unanswered

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Images taken by miniature drones from deep inside a badly damaged reactor at the Fukushima nuclear plant show displaced control equipment and misshapen materials but leave many questions unanswered, underscoring the daunting task of decommissioning the plant. 1 reactor at the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town on March 14, 2024. This photo shows a drone designed to probe at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Naraha town, Japan, Jan. 23, 2024. This aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, northern Japan, on Aug. 24, 2023.

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History of this topic

Tiny grain of nuclear fuel pulled by robot from ruined Japanese nuclear reactor
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Tiny grain of nuclear fuel pulled by robot from ruined Japanese nuclear reactor

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A robot that has spent …

A tiny grain of nuclear fuel is pulled from ruined Japanese nuclear plant, in a step toward cleanup
1 month, 2 weeks ago

A tiny grain of nuclear fuel is pulled from ruined Japanese nuclear plant, in a step toward cleanup

Associated Press  

TOKYO — A robot that has spent months inside the ruins of a nuclear reactor at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi plant delivered a tiny sample of melted nuclear fuel on Thursday, in what plant officials said was a step toward beginning the cleanup of hundreds of tons of melted fuel debris. The first sample alone is not enough and additional …

Robot successfully retrieves first radioactive fuel sample from Fukushima reactor
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Robot successfully retrieves first radioactive fuel sample from Fukushima reactor

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A robot has, for the …

Fukushima begins robotic removal of radioactive debris sample 13 years after nuclear disaster
3 months, 1 week ago

Fukushima begins robotic removal of radioactive debris sample 13 years after nuclear disaster

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A robotic mission to retrieve …

Robot begins removal of melted fuel from the Fukushima nuclear plant, could take a century
3 months, 1 week ago

Robot begins removal of melted fuel from the Fukushima nuclear plant, could take a century

The Hindu  

A long robot entered a damaged reactor at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant on Tuesday, beginning a two-week, high-stakes mission to retrieve for the first time a tiny amount of melted fuel debris from the bottom. The robot's trip into the Unit 2 reactor is a crucial initial step for what comes next — a daunting, decades-long process to decommission …

A robot begins removal of melted fuel from the Fukushima nuclear plant. It could take a century
3 months, 1 week ago

A robot begins removal of melted fuel from the Fukushima nuclear plant. It could take a century

Associated Press  

TOKYO — A long robot entered a damaged reactor at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant on Tuesday, beginning a two-week, high-stakes mission to retrieve for the first time a tiny amount of melted fuel debris from the bottom. The robot’s trip into the Unit 2 reactor is a crucial initial step for what comes next — a daunting, decades-long process …

A robot has begun a 2-week mission to retrieve melted fuel from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant
3 months, 1 week ago

A robot has begun a 2-week mission to retrieve melted fuel from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant

Associated Press  

TOKYO — An extendable robot began on Tuesday a two-week mission to retrieve the first sample of melted fuel debris from inside one of three damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Highly radioactive fuel and other materials in the reactors melted when a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 damaged the plant’s cooling systems. The plant’s operator, …

A robot’s attempt to get a sample of the melted fuel at Japan’s damaged nuclear reactor is suspended
4 months ago

A robot’s attempt to get a sample of the melted fuel at Japan’s damaged nuclear reactor is suspended

Associated Press  

TOKYO — An attempt to use an extendable robot to remove a fragment of melted fuel from a wrecked reactor at Japan’s tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was suspended Thursday due to a technical issue. The collection of a tiny sample of the debris inside the Unit 2 reactor’s primary containment vessel would start the fuel debris removal phase, …

TEPCO halts attempt to remove fuel debris at Fukushima nuclear plant
4 months ago

TEPCO halts attempt to remove fuel debris at Fukushima nuclear plant

China Daily  

Tanks containing water from the disabled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant are seen at the power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, March 8, 2023. TOKYO - Tokyo Electric Power Company on Thursday decided to halt preparatory work for the test retrieval of nuclear fuel debris from one of the crippled reactors at the disaster-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. …

Conditions inside Fukushima’s melted nuclear reactors still unclear 13 years after disaster struck
9 months, 1 week ago

Conditions inside Fukushima’s melted nuclear reactors still unclear 13 years after disaster struck

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan on Monday marked 13 years since a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the country’s northern coasts. Nearly 20,000 people died, whole towns were wiped out and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was destroyed, creating deep fears of radiation that linger today. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government reversed that policy and has accelerated restarts of workable reactors …

Japan marks 13 years since massive tsunami disaster. A closer look at the Fukushima nuclear plant
9 months, 1 week ago

Japan marks 13 years since massive tsunami disaster. A closer look at the Fukushima nuclear plant

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Nearly 20,000 people died, whole …

13 years after meltdown, Fukushima’s reactor room remains a ‘mystery’
9 months, 2 weeks ago

13 years after meltdown, Fukushima’s reactor room remains a ‘mystery’

The Hindu  

As Japan prepares to mark the 13th anniversary of its worst-ever nuclear disaster, the man in charge of cleaning it up says his team is fighting to bring a sample out of the heart of the site’s radioactive debris. ‘Unprecedented task; Getting that sample would be like penetrating “the main keep of the castle” in the battle of decommissioning, Mr. …

13 years after meltdown, the head of Japan’s nuclear cleanup is probing mysteries inside reactors
9 months, 2 weeks ago

13 years after meltdown, the head of Japan’s nuclear cleanup is probing mysteries inside reactors

Associated Press  

TOKYO — As Japan prepares to mark the 13th anniversary of its worst-ever nuclear disaster, the man in charge of cleaning it up says his team is fighting to bring a sample out of the heart of the site’s radioactive debris. The key to unlocking that mystery — and figuring out how to clean it up — is a sample …

Latest Fukushima leak exposes failures in nuclear crisis management
10 months, 1 week ago

Latest Fukushima leak exposes failures in nuclear crisis management

China Daily  

People attend a rally against Japan's ocean discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater in Seoul, South Korea, Aug 31, 2023. In a chilling revelation that sent shockwaves through the world, a new nuclear waste leak has unearthed the gaping crack in Japan's professed claim of responsible handling the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The leakage of about 5.5 …

The ruined Fukushima nuclear plant leaked radioactive water, but none escaped the facility
10 months, 2 weeks ago

The ruined Fukushima nuclear plant leaked radioactive water, but none escaped the facility

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Highly radioactive water leaked from a treatment machine at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, but no one was injured and radiation monitoring shows no impact to the outside environment, the utility operator said Thursday. A plant worker found the leak Wednesday morning during valve checks at a SARRY treatment machine designed to mainly remove cesium and …

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant further delays removal of melted fuel debris
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant further delays removal of melted fuel debris

Associated Press  

TOKYO — The operator of the tsunami-hit nuclear plant in Fukushima announced Thursday a delay of several more months before launching a test to remove melted fuel debris from inside one of the reactors, citing problems clearing the way for a robotic arm. The disasters destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant’s power supply and cooling systems, causing three reactors to …

Drone the size of a bread slice may allow Japan closer look inside damaged Fukushima nuclear plant
11 months ago

Drone the size of a bread slice may allow Japan closer look inside damaged Fukushima nuclear plant

Associated Press  

NARAHA, Japan — A drone almost the size of a slice of bread is Japan’s newest hope to get clearer footage of one of the reactors inside the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant where hundreds of tons of damaged fuel remain almost 13 years after the disaster. Massive amounts of fatally radioactive melted nuclear fuel remain inside to this …

Japan wants to cut carbon. But one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents is making it harder
1 year ago

Japan wants to cut carbon. But one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents is making it harder

LA Times  

A quarter-mile inland from the eastern Japanese coastline, a sprawling complex of solar panels, robotic lawnmowers and the world’s largest hydrogen power plant stands as a monument to the country’s zero-carbon aspirations. But for Japan to achieve that goal, the government says it must turn back to the country’s now-idled nuclear power plants, reigniting a painful debate over the necessity …

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant starts 3rd release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea
1 year, 1 month ago

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant starts 3rd release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea

Associated Press  

TOKYO — The tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began its third release of treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the sea Thursday after Japanese officials said the two earlier releases ended smoothly. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Thursday that Japan has consistently provided transparent and scientific explanations about the discharge and gained understanding from many members of the …

As Japan releases more Fukushima water, what about the rest of the plant?
1 year, 2 months ago

As Japan releases more Fukushima water, what about the rest of the plant?

Al Jazeera  

A second batch of treated water is being released into the Pacific, but the entire decommissioning process will be far more complex. But when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, a subsequent tsunami and a nuclear disaster brought devastation to Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region, that all changed, Shinichi Sato, a teacher who taught at Ukedo elementary school, told Al Jazeera. “For years …

Fukushima nuclear plant’s operator says the first round of wastewater release is complete
1 year, 3 months ago

Fukushima nuclear plant’s operator says the first round of wastewater release is complete

Associated Press  

TOKYO — The operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant said Monday that it has safely completed the first release of treated radioactive water from the plant into the sea and will inspect and clean the facility before starting the second round in a few weeks. During the 17-day first release, the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, …

Removing Fukushima's melted nuclear fuel will be harder than the release of plant's wastewater
1 year, 3 months ago

Removing Fukushima's melted nuclear fuel will be harder than the release of plant's wastewater

The Hindu  

At a small section of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant’s central control room, the treated water transfer switch is on. “The best way to eliminate the contaminated water is to remove the melted fuel debris,” said Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings spokesperson Kenichi Takahara, who escorted Sunday’s media tour for foreign media. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, …

Removing Fukushima’s melted nuclear fuel will be harder than the release of plant’s wastewater
1 year, 3 months ago

Removing Fukushima’s melted nuclear fuel will be harder than the release of plant’s wastewater

Associated Press  

OKUMA, Japan — At a small section of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant’s central control room, the treated water transfer switch is on. “The best way to eliminate the contaminated water is to remove the melted fuel debris,” said Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings spokesperson Kenichi Takahara, who escorted Sunday’s media tour for foreign media. The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric …

The daunting challenges that lie ahead of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant
1 year, 3 months ago

The daunting challenges that lie ahead of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But it's just the beginning of the challenges ahead, …

At Fukushima Daiichi, decommissioning the nuclear plant is far more challenging than water release
1 year, 3 months ago

At Fukushima Daiichi, decommissioning the nuclear plant is far more challenging than water release

Associated Press  

FUTABA, Japan — For the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, managing the ever-growing volume of radioactive wastewater held in more than 1,000 tanks has been a safety risk and a burden since the meltdown in March 2011. But it’s just the beginning of the challenges ahead, such as the removal of the fatally radioactive melted fuel debris that remains in …

Events at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant since the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster
1 year, 3 months ago

Events at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant since the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster

Associated Press  

Treated but still slightly radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is being released into the Pacific Ocean in a process that began Thursday — more than 12 years after a massive earthquake and tsunami caused the meltdowns of three of its reactors and the continuing leakage of cooling water. Here is a timeline of events: — …

Timeline: Cleaning up the Fukushima disaster
1 year, 4 months ago

Timeline: Cleaning up the Fukushima disaster

Al Jazeera  

The Fukushima Daiichi plant was devastated by a tsunami in 2011, but Japan’s efforts to clean up have been mired in controversy. Japan has started releasing treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, a milestone in its challenging decommissioning process. 2018 October 1 TEPCO says water treated at the Fukushima site still contains …

Japan nuclear watchdog asks Fukushima plant operator to assess risk from reactor damage
1 year, 6 months ago

Japan nuclear watchdog asks Fukushima plant operator to assess risk from reactor damage

Associated Press  

TOKYO — A nuclear watchdog has asked the operator of Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant to assess possible risks resulting from damage that was found in a key supporting structure inside one of the three melted reactors. A robotic probe sent inside the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s Unit 1 primary containment chamber found that its pedestal — the main supporting …

New images from inside Fukushima reactor spark safety worry
1 year, 8 months ago

New images from inside Fukushima reactor spark safety worry

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Images captured by a robotic probe inside one of the three melted reactors at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant showed exposed steel bars in the main supporting structure and parts of its thick external concrete wall missing, triggering concerns about its earthquake resistance in case of another major disaster. The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, …

What's going on at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant 12 years after the meltdown?
1 year, 9 months ago

What's going on at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant 12 years after the meltdown?

Firstpost  

Okuma: Twelve years after the triple reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan is preparing to release a massive amount of treated stored wastewater into the sea. The 130 tons of contaminated water created daily is collected, treated and then stored in tanks, which now number about 1,000 and cover much of the plant’s grounds. “It would …

What’s happening at Fukushima plant 12 years after meltdown?
1 year, 9 months ago

What’s happening at Fukushima plant 12 years after meltdown?

The Hindu  

Twelve years after the triple reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan is preparing to release a massive amount of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. The government and TEPCO say the tanks must make way for facilities to decommission the plant, such as storage space for melted fuel debris and other highly contaminated waste. “It would …

What’s happening at Fukushima plant 12 years after meltdown?
1 year, 9 months ago

What’s happening at Fukushima plant 12 years after meltdown?

Associated Press  

OKUMA, Japan — Twelve years after the triple reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan is preparing to release a massive amount of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. “It would be best if the water isn’t released, but it seems unavoidable,” said Katsumasa Okawa, owner of a seafood store in Iwaki, south of the plant, whose …

Fukushima plant head: Too early to predict decommissioning
1 year, 9 months ago

Fukushima plant head: Too early to predict decommissioning

Associated Press  

TOKYO — The head of Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant says details of the damage inside its reactors are only beginning to be known 12 years after it was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami, making it difficult to foresee when or how its decommissioning will be completed. The most pressing immediate task is to safely start releasing large …

Why is Japan planning to flush Fukushima wastewater into the ocean?
1 year, 10 months ago

Why is Japan planning to flush Fukushima wastewater into the ocean?

The Hindu  

Japan is expected to start flushing 1.25 million tonnes of wastewater from the embattled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean this year, as part of a $76-billion project to decommission the facility. The Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the Fukushima facility, has said it has treated the water to remove most radioactive isotopes; former Prime Minister Yoshihide …

Japan to start releasing treated water from Fukushima this year
1 year, 11 months ago

Japan to start releasing treated water from Fukushima this year

Firstpost  

Cooling systems at the plant were overwhelmed when a massive undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami in 2011, causing the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl Tokyo: Japan plans to start releasing more than a million tonnes of treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean this year, a top government spokesman said Friday. The plan has been …

Robot photos appear to show melted fuel at Fukushima reactor
2 years, 10 months ago

Robot photos appear to show melted fuel at Fukushima reactor

Associated Press  

TOKYO — A remote-controlled robot has captured images of what appears to be mounds of nuclear fuel that melted and fell to the bottom of the most damaged reactor at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, officials said Thursday. A previous attempt to send a small robot with cameras into the Unit 1 reactor failed, but images captured this week by …

Residents return to town near Fukushima nuclear plant after government decontamination project
2 years, 11 months ago

Residents return to town near Fukushima nuclear plant after government decontamination project

Daily Mail  

Five former residents of the last remaining uninhabited town near Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant returned on Thursday to live there for the first time since the 2011 disaster. Five former residents of Futaba will be allowed to stay until at least June Five former residents of the last remaining uninhabited town near Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant have returned, …

EXPLAINER: How dangerous is the Fukushima nuke plant today?
3 years, 9 months ago

EXPLAINER: How dangerous is the Fukushima nuke plant today?

Associated Press  

OKUMA, Japan — A decade ago, a massive tsunami crashed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The plant’s three other reactors were offline and survived, though a fourth building, along with two of the three melted reactors, had hydrogen explosions, spewing massive radiation and causing long-term contamination in the area. If the plant’s pools lose their cooling water in …

Timeline of Japan’s 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster
3 years, 9 months ago

Timeline of Japan’s 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of a massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that struck Japan’s northeastern coast. Here is a timeline of events: ___ — March 11, 2011: A magnitude 9.0 earthquake strikes off the coast at 2:46 p.m., triggering a towering tsunami that reaches land within half an hour. — Dec. 16: After workers struggle for …

How the 2011 tsunami destroyed Japan’s trust in nuclear power
3 years, 9 months ago

How the 2011 tsunami destroyed Japan’s trust in nuclear power

Al Jazeera  

Ten years since the Fukushima disaster, the clean up of the plant provides stark reminder of the risk of nuclear power. The plant’s owner, Tokyo Electric Power Company has treated the contaminated water through what it calls the Advanced Liquid Processing System, noting on its website that this “eventually removes most of the radioactive materials except Tritium.” Tritium, explains Ken …

The Fukushima disaster in maps and charts
3 years, 9 months ago

The Fukushima disaster in maps and charts

Al Jazeera  

Ten years after Japan’s deadly earthquake and tsunami, we take a look at how the disaster unfolded. The nuclear disaster Along the path of the tsunami sat 11 operational reactors at four nuclear power plants, owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Company in Fukushima prefecture. Today, there are about 1.25 million tonnes of radioactive seawater stored in 1,000 metal tanks …

Japan to release radioactive Fukushima water into the sea: Media
4 years, 2 months ago

Japan to release radioactive Fukushima water into the sea: Media

Al Jazeera  

Any release of the water is expected to antagonise Japanese fishermen and raise concerns in neighbouring countries Japan’s government has decided to release radioactive water from the devastated Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, with a formal announcement expected to be made within this month, Kyodo news agency and other Japanese media reported on Friday. Tokyo Electric Power Company has …

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