A tiny grain of nuclear fuel is pulled from ruined Japanese nuclear plant, in a step toward cleanup
4 months, 3 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 small-scale sampling missions will be necessary in order to obtain more data, TEPCO spokesperson Kenichi Takahara told reporters Thursday. That’s led some to question whether the robot extracted the nuclear fuel it was looking for from an area in which previous probes have detected much higher levels of radioactive contamination, but TEPCO officials insist they believe the sample is melted fuel. On Oct. 30, it clipped a sample weighting less than 3 grams from the surface of a mound of melted fuel debris sitting on the bottom of the primary containment vessel of the Unit 2 reactor, TEPCO said.

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History of this topic

‘Nervous and rushed': Massive Fukushima plant cleanup exposes workers to high radiation and stress
Trending News
2 weeks, 4 days ago

‘Nervous and rushed': Massive Fukushima plant cleanup exposes workers to high radiation and stress

New Indian Express  

OKUMA, Japan: The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant’s radiation levels have significantly dropped since the cataclysmic meltdown 14 years ago Tuesday. As workers remove melted fuel debris from the reactors in a monumental nuclear cleanup effort that could take more than a century, they are facing both huge amounts of psychological stress and dangerous levels of radiation. That first successful …

Tiny grain of nuclear fuel pulled by robot from ruined Japanese nuclear reactor
4 months, 3 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 …

Robot successfully retrieves first radioactive fuel sample from Fukushima reactor
4 months, 3 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 …

A glitch halts again Telesco the robot’s attempt to get a sample from Fukushima nuclear reactor
6 months, 1 week ago

A glitch halts again Telesco the robot’s attempt to get a sample from Fukushima nuclear reactor

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Video feed issues halted on Tuesday the mission of a robot trying to retrieve the first sample of melted fuel debris from inside one of the damaged reactors at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the managing company said. An estimated 880 tons of fatally radioactive molten fuel remains in them, and the Tokyo Electric Power Holdings …

Fukushima begins robotic removal of radioactive debris sample 13 years after nuclear disaster
6 months, 2 weeks 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
6 months, 2 weeks 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
6 months, 2 weeks 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
6 months, 2 weeks 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 nuclear fuel at Japan's damaged reactor is suspended
7 months, 1 week ago

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

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 An attempt to use an …

A robot’s attempt to get a sample of the melted fuel at Japan’s damaged nuclear reactor is suspended
7 months, 1 week 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
7 months, 1 week 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. …

A robot will soon try to remove melted nuclear fuel from Japan's destroyed Fukushima reactor
10 months ago

A robot will soon try to remove melted nuclear fuel from Japan's destroyed 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 The operator of Japan's destroyed …

Revealed: Images taken deep inside melted Fukushima reactor show damage, but leave many questions unanswered
1 year ago

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

New Indian Express  

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. Officials had long hoped to reach the area to examine the core and melted nuclear fuel which dripped there when the plant’s …

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

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

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

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

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant further delays removal of melted fuel debris
1 year, 2 months 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 …

Removing Fukushima's melted nuclear fuel will be harder than the release of plant's wastewater
1 year, 7 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, 7 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, 7 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, 7 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 …

Japan's nuclear plants are short of storage for spent fuel. A remote town could have the solution
1 year, 7 months ago

Japan's nuclear plants are short of storage for spent fuel. A remote town could have the solution

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. Kaminoseki, a small town in the southwestern prefecture of …

Japan nuclear watchdog asks Fukushima plant operator to assess risk from reactor damage
1 year, 10 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 …

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

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

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

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 Twelve years after the triple …

Robot photos appear to show melted fuel at Fukushima reactor
3 years, 1 month 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 …

EXPLAINER: How dangerous is the Fukushima nuke plant today?
4 years 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 …

Japan sticks to nuke fuel cycle despite plutonium stockpile
4 years, 5 months ago

Japan sticks to nuke fuel cycle despite plutonium stockpile

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan’s government said Wednesday it will pursue its nuclear fuel recycling program that would involve extracting plutonium from spent fuel, despite international concerns about the country’s already huge plutonium stockpile and lack of prospects for effectively consuming it as nuclear fuel. Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, at a meeting with the governor of Aomori prefecture, home to Japan’s …

Fukushima melted fuel removal begins 2021, end state unknown
5 years, 3 months ago

Fukushima melted fuel removal begins 2021, end state unknown

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan’s economy and industry ministry proposed a revision Monday to its decades-long road map to clean up the radioactive mess at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was wrecked by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. A look at some of the challenges in decommissioning the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant: ___ MELTED FUEL DEBRIS By far the toughest …

Japan begins massive nuclear pool clean-up after Fukushima disaster
5 years, 11 months ago

Japan begins massive nuclear pool clean-up after Fukushima disaster

ABC  

The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant has begun removing fuel from a cooling pool at one of three reactors that melted down in the 2011 disaster, a milestone in the decades-long process to decommission the plant. Key points: Workers need to remove 566 nuclear fuel rods from a cooling pool at the reactor site The whole process occurs …

Fukushima nuclear plant: Removal of fuel rods from damaged reactor begins
5 years, 11 months ago

Fukushima nuclear plant: Removal of fuel rods from damaged reactor begins

CNN  

CNN — Eight years after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered Japan’s worst ever nuclear disaster, work has begun to remove spent fuel rods from a reactor that went into meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. On Monday, TEPCO announced the beginning of work to remove fuel rods from the storage pool in reactor building No. “As part of the …

Fukushima operator TEPCO releases fresh images of reactor wreckage; broken parts, debris that could be melted fuel seen
7 years, 2 months ago

Fukushima operator TEPCO releases fresh images of reactor wreckage; broken parts, debris that could be melted fuel seen

Firstpost  

The operator of Fukushima’s crippled nuclear power plant has released fresh images of the wreckage inside a damaged reactor, showing broken metal parts and debris Tokyo: The operator of Fukushima’s crippled nuclear power plant has released fresh images of the wreckage inside a damaged reactor, showing broken metal parts and debris that could be melted fuel. Tokyo Electric Power Co …

Robot captures possible melted nuclear fuel inside damaged reactor at Fukushima
7 years, 8 months ago

Robot captures possible melted nuclear fuel inside damaged reactor at Fukushima

Firstpost  

The robot found large amounts of solidified lava-like rocks and lumps in layers as thick as 1 meter on the bottom inside of a main structure. Images captured by an underwater robot showed massive deposits believed to be melted nuclear fuel covering the floor of a damaged reactor at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. The robot found large amounts of …

TEPCO: Fukushima nuclear clean-up, compensation costs nearly double previous estimate at $250 billion
8 years, 3 months ago

TEPCO: Fukushima nuclear clean-up, compensation costs nearly double previous estimate at $250 billion

ABC  

The total cost of decommissioning the stricken nuclear power plant at Fukushima and providing compensation to victims has nearly doubled, with a new estimate placing the cost at $250 billion. He wants the entire region to become a hub for robotics companies — some of which will work on robots specifically designed to remove the melted nuclear fuel from the …

Japan: Fukushima clean-up ‘may take 40 years’
9 years, 1 month ago

Japan: Fukushima clean-up ‘may take 40 years’

CNN  

Story highlights Decommissioning the Fukushima nuclear plant is estimated to take up to 40 years The plant is now stable, according to TEPCO, its operator Biggest challenge is to take out the molten nuclear fuel debris Tokyo CNN — Cleaning up Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which suffered catastrophic meltdowns after an earthquake and tsunami hit in 2011, may take …

UN nuclear experts arrive in Japan to begin review of Fukushima plant
11 years, 4 months ago

UN nuclear experts arrive in Japan to begin review of Fukushima plant

Firstpost  

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s watchdog for nuclear power, is conducting its second review of plans for decommissioning that may take four decades after the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986. Tokyo: UN nuclear experts arrived in Japan on Monday to assess the decommissioning of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant and the operator’s progress in removing …

First Fuel Rods Plucked From Tsunami-Damaged Fukushima Plant
11 years, 4 months ago

First Fuel Rods Plucked From Tsunami-Damaged Fukushima Plant

NPR  

First Fuel Rods Plucked From Tsunami-Damaged Fukushima Plant Enlarge this image toggle caption Handout/TEPCO Handout/TEPCO Workers at Japan's Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power station successfully completed the first day of a delicate operation to remove radioactive fuel rods from a reactor damaged in the March 2011 tsunami. The fuel rods were removed from the Unit 4 reactor, which was offline at …

Japan PM wants Fukushima plant entirely scrapped
11 years, 6 months ago

Japan PM wants Fukushima plant entirely scrapped

India TV News  

Okuma, Japan: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the operator of the country's crippled nuclear power plant on Thursday to scrap all six reactors at the site instead of just four already slated for decommissioning and to concentrate on tackling pressing issues like leaks of radioactive water. After taking a firsthand look at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, however, Abe insisted …

Concerns over Fukushima: Japan PM promises to act soon
11 years, 6 months ago

Concerns over Fukushima: Japan PM promises to act soon

Firstpost  

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday the government will take prompt, comprehensive steps to clean up the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant amid growing concerns about the plant operator’s ability to handle it. Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday the government will take prompt, comprehensive steps to clean up the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant amid growing …

Experts warn of possible catastrophe at Japan reactor
12 years, 9 months ago

Experts warn of possible catastrophe at Japan reactor

The Hindu  

Some nuclear experts are warning that spent fuel rods at a damaged plant in Japan could trigger a major catastrophe despite the government’s declaration in December that the emergency phase of the nation’s worst nuclear disaster was over. Mitsuhei Murata, Japan’s former ambassador to Switzerland, also sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki—moon in late March, saying, “It …

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