Nuclear Fuel Debris Sample Removed At Fukushima Plant; Material To Be Analyzed Ahead Of Full-Scale Removal

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:54 JST, November 7, 2024

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. successfully removed a small amount of nuclear fuel debris from the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Thursday.

The experimental removal is the first time that debris has been sampled since the 2011 nuclear accident at the plant. The debris will be analyzed and used as a reference for conducting full-scale removal in the future.

According to TEPCO, the debris had been stored in a small aluminum box in a metal enclosure connected to the reactor containment vessel since Wednesday. At around 11:40 a.m. on Thursday, the box was placed in a special resin container. At this point, TEPCO considers the test removal to be complete.

The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant accident involved meltdowns in the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 reactors. An estimated 880 tons of debris was generated when the melted nuclear fuel was mixed with melted parts of the reactor structure. The debris is believed to measure about 5 millimeters and weigh less than 3 grams.

The debris sample is to be transported to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s institute in Ibaraki Prefecture, which will analyze the composition and hardness of the debris for several months to a year, with its findings to be used in the selection of methods and tools for full-scale removal of the debris in the early 2030s.