Energy News
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Japan to resume trial removal of Fukushima debris
Japan to resume trial removal of Fukushima debris
by AFP Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP) Sept 5, 2024

The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant said Thursday it aims to carry out a trial removal of highly radioactive debris next week, after a previous attempt was suspended.

Thirteen years after an earthquake and tsunami hit Fukushima-Daiichi in one of the world's worst nuclear accidents, around 880 tons of extremely hazardous material remain inside.

Late last month, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) had to suspend a removal procedure after a technical problem involving the installation of the necessary equipment.

"It will take several days for us to prepare for a resumption... and we will be able to resume next week if all goes well as scheduled," a Tepco spokesman told reporters.

Three of Fukushima-Daiichi's six reactors were operating when a tsunami hit on March 11, 2011, knocking down cooling systems and sending them into meltdown in what became the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

In three units of the Fukushima plant, fuel and other material melted and then solidified into highly radioactive "fuel debris".

The new operation aims to remove a sample of the debris and study it in order to decide on the next steps.

Tepco deployed two mini-drones and a "snake-shaped robot" inside in February, as part of the preparations for removal.

The debris has radiation levels so high that Tepco had to develop specialised robots able to function inside.

Last year, Tepco began releasing into the Pacific Ocean 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water used to cool the stricken reactors.

But removing the debris has long been dubbed the most daunting challenge in the decades-long project to decommission the plant.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Japan postpones trial removal of nuclear debris from Fukushima reactor
Tokyo (AFP) Aug 23, 2024
The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant said this week's trial removal of radioactive debris from a battered reactor has been postponed due to a technical issue. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) was aiming to remove a tiny sample of the estimated 880 tons of radioactive debris believed to sit inside reactors at the tsunami-hit nuclear plant. But after carrying out the preliminary steps of the trial retrieval on Thursday morning, a Tepco spokesperson said the operator h ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
CABBI team designs efficient bioenergy crops that need less water to grow

Engineered microbes efficiently convert CO2 into key pharmaceutical precursors

UK power firm to pay fine over inaccurate data on wood

Turning bacteria into bioplastic factories

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
UN's Guterres says China-Africa ties can drive 'renewable energy revolution'

Custom innovations for fault detection in renewable power grids

AI-powered process unveils chemical keys for solar energy advancements

Major Qatari plant to double solar capacity by 2030: minister

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Researchers develop method for chemically recyclable wind turbine blades

India's green energy wind drive hits desert herders hard

MIT engineers' new theory could improve the design and operation of wind farms

Engineers Develop Cost-Effective Seafloor Testing Device for Offshore Wind Farms

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Heat pumps are key to home electrification -- but will Americans buy in?

China nears peak emissions as climate envoy meets US counterpart

UK announces record green energy auction

Treasury Department, IRS, propose expansion of clean energy tax credits

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Argonne to lead National Energy Storage Research Hub

Researchers discover a surprising way to jump-start battery performance

Bubbling, frothing and sloshing: Long-hypothesized plasma instabilities finally observed

Innovative smart windows cool buildings and generate electricity without external power

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Air pollution declined in Europe and China in 2023: UN

'Queen of Trash' in dock in Sweden's biggest toxic waste scandal

Assessing microplastic contamination in marine plankton to mitigate global pollution

Greek port city in a state of emergency over flood of dead fish

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
US Navy sailor detained by law enforcement in Venezuela

MiQ updates guidance on satellite data for verifying methane emissions

Hijacked, sunk, set ablaze: Yemen rebels' Red Sea attacks

Oil tanker ablaze off Yemen threatens environmental disaster

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Martian Ice Caps Reveal Insights into Ancient Climate Shifts

Perseverance Kicks off the Crater Rim Campaign

Study identifies key materials for shielding astronauts from Mars radiation

The means for mapping Martian meteorites

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.