A robot's attempt to get a sample of the melted nuclear fuel at Japan's damaged reactor is suspended
7 months 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 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, the most challenging part of the decadeslong decommissioning of the plant where three reactors were destroyed in the March 11, 2011, magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami disaster. The work was stopped when workers noticed that five 1.5-meter pipes used to maneuver the robot were placed in the wrong order and could not be corrected within the time limit for their radiation exposure, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said. Better understanding of the melted fuel debris is key to decommissioning the three wrecked reactors and the entire plant.

Fuel Robot Tepco  robot  breaking  suspended  fuel  reactors  power  robots  plant  attempt  sign  reactor  japans  decommissioning  melted  damaged  sample  nuclear  debris

History of this topic

‘Nervous and rushed': Massive Fukushima plant cleanup exposes workers to high radiation and stress
Trending News
2 weeks, 1 day 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, 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
4 months, 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
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 fuel at Japan’s damaged nuclear reactor is suspended
7 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
7 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. …

A robot will soon try to remove melted nuclear fuel from Japan's destroyed Fukushima reactor
9 months, 3 weeks 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 …

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, 6 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, 6 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, 6 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 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 …

Underwater pictures from inside Fukushima nuclear reactor spark safety concerns
1 year, 11 months ago

Underwater pictures from inside Fukushima nuclear reactor spark safety concerns

ABC  

An underwater probe has captured images of the inside of one of the three melted reactors at Japan's wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, triggering concerns about earthquake resistance in the case of another major disaster. Key points: The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was heavily damaged in 2011 by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami The plant's three operational reactors melted …

New images from inside Fukushima reactor spark safety worry
1 year, 11 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, …

Fukushima plant head: Too early to predict decommissioning
2 years 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 …

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 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 …

Toshiba designs robot to probe depths of Japan's melted Fukushima nuclear reactor
6 years, 1 month ago

Toshiba designs robot to probe depths of Japan's melted Fukushima nuclear reactor

Firstpost  

Toshiba Corp unveiled a remote-controlled robot with tongs on Monday that it hopes will be able to probe the inside of one of the three damaged reactors at Japan’s tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant and grip chunks of highly radioactive melted fuel. An earlier probe carrying a camera captured images of pieces of melted fuel in the reactor last year, and …

Japanese company TEPCO to decommission Fukushima nuclear plant, plans on dismantling all 10 reactors
6 years, 9 months ago

Japanese company TEPCO to decommission Fukushima nuclear plant, plans on dismantling all 10 reactors

Firstpost  

Tokyo Electric Power Company responsible for meltdowns at a nuclear power plant in Japan seven years ago said it might decommission a plant in Fukushima that narrowly escaped the crisis Tokyo: The utility responsible for meltdowns at a nuclear power plant in northeast Japan seven years ago said for the first time publicly it might decommission another plant in Fukushima …

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 …

Robot sent to study Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan
8 years ago

Robot sent to study Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan

Firstpost  

Japanese authorities sent a robot to the Fukushima nuclear plant on Tuesday to measure radiation levels inside and evaluate its condition ahead of a future dismantling of a reactor. Determining the exact conditions inside the reactor is a necessary step for drafting a plan on the future recovery of the nuclear fuel; a task that has been made difficult by …

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 …

Robot death at Fukushima: Bots sent to repair damage at nuclear power plant got their circuits destroyed
9 years ago

Robot death at Fukushima: Bots sent to repair damage at nuclear power plant got their circuits destroyed

Firstpost  

Japan on Friday marked the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. Robots sent into repair the site are ‘dying’ – as soon as the robots get close to the damaged reactors, their circuits get destroyed because of the radiation. On Friday, Japan marked the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. Robots sent to repair …

At Japan’s Fukushima nuclear complex, robots aiding the cleanup after 2011 disaster
9 years ago

At Japan’s Fukushima nuclear complex, robots aiding the cleanup after 2011 disaster

LA Times  

Yusuke Nakagawa of Tokyo Electric Power Co. works in the team that operates the robots used to decontaminate the reactor buildings. The operational environment is very different than space — it’s much harder.” NEWSLETTER: Get the day’s top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> Over the last five years, since an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown devastated a swath …

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 …

1st robot into Fukushima reactor stalls, but gets some data
9 years, 11 months ago

1st robot into Fukushima reactor stalls, but gets some data

Associated Press  

TOKYO — The operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant said Monday that the first robot sent inside one of the melted reactors stalled before finishing its work but collected data that indicates a path exists to send robots deeper into the reactor. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the robot stalled after completing about two-thirds of its planned mission Friday …

Fukushima disaster: Japan incapable of decommissioning plant
11 years, 3 months ago

Fukushima disaster: Japan incapable of decommissioning plant

Firstpost  

The cloud over Japan’s capacity to get the decades-long job done has further undermined the image of the nuclear industry with the public. Japan is incapable of safely decommissioning the devastated Fukushima nuclear plant alone and must stitch together an international team for the massive undertaking, experts say, but has made only halting progress in that direction. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation …

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 …

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 …

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