The difficult operation to remove a small amount of radioactive debris from Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant began on Tuesday, after an earlier attempt was postponed due to technical problems. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said in a statement that its “pilot extraction operation” had begun. According to the company, it will take about two weeks.
This small sample will be studied to get clues about the conditions inside the reactors – a crucial step toward shutting down the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
About 880 tonnes of highly hazardous material is still located 13 years after a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that caused one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents.
Removing debris from the reactors is considered to be the most difficult challenge in this decades-long decommissioning project.
TEPCO originally planned to launch its first test on August 22, aiming to collect just three grams (0.1 ounce) for analysis — if the extraction process is successful.
But the company had to stop work at an early stage after problems were detected in the installation of essential equipment.
Three of the Fukushima plant’s six reactors were operational when the tsunami struck on March 11, 2011, causing them to melt down.
The radiation levels in the debris inside are so high that TEPCO had to develop special robots capable of working inside.
In February, TEPCO deployed two mini drones and a “snake-shaped robot” at one of the three nuclear reactors as part of preparations for removal work.
In addition, last year Japan began discharging treated wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean, sparking a diplomatic row with China and Russia.
Both countries have banned imports of Japanese seafood, although Tokyo says the exports are safe and the United Nations nuclear agency supports that claim.
And as part of TEPCO’s initiative to promote food from the Fukushima region, luxury London department store Harrods on Saturday began selling peaches grown in the region.
Fukushima peaches are famous for their juicy, sweet flavour – but they aren’t cheap, with a box of three peaches reportedly costing £80 ($100).
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