Fukushima N-Plant Debris Retrieval Robot to Be Deployed as Early as This Summer; Remotely Powered Arm Allows for Wider Exploration Than Previous Device

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:31 JST, March 6, 2026

A robotic arm will be deployed to remove melted nuclear fuel debris from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant for the first time as early as this summer, according to the head of the firm established by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. to manage the work of decommissioning the plant.

“We should be able to obtain various information from inside the [No.2] reactor,” Akira Ono, president of Fukushima Daiichi Decontamination & Decommissioning Engineering Co., said in a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, in advance of the 15th anniversary of the accident at the plant.

The robot consists of a remotely operated arm which can extend up to about 22 meters. It can explore and collect debris across a much wider area than the simple device used in the previous two retrieval tests, which had a very limited range.

TEPCO plans to use the arm to capture images inside the No. 2 reactor from this summer onward, then begin collecting small amounts of debris.

“We have anticipated various risks, such as operational failures, and are taking sufficient countermeasures,” Ono said.

The government and TEPCO have set a goal of completing the decommissioning work by 2051.

“Technological innovation over the past 15 years has been remarkable,” Ono said, citing examples such as the use of drones to inspect inside the reactor. “We want to actively incorporate potentially useful cutting-edge technologies into the decommissioning work.”