Start of fuel sampling • News • onvista

FUKUSHIMA (dpa-AFX) – The operator of the Japanese nuclear ruin Fukushima Daiichi has made a new attempt to take a sample of a small amount of melted fuel from one of the destroyed reactors. After a first attempt had to be postponed recently due to inadequate preparation, the operator assured Tepco that the pipes intended for the sampling had been installed in the correct order this time. A device for recovering the fuel from reactor 2 will be inserted through them.

On March 11, 2011, a severe earthquake and massive tsunamis caused several core meltdowns in the nuclear power plant after the cooling systems failed. There are an estimated 880 tons of destroyed fuel elements in reactors 1, 2 and 3. Their recovery is the greatest challenge for the decommissioning of the damaged nuclear power plant, which will take decades to complete.

According to Japanese media reports, the operating company Tepco plans to use a telescope-like device to recover around three grams of the melted fuel from Block 2. The destroyed reactors must continue to be cooled with water. A year ago, Japan began the controversial discharge of the previously filtered and diluted water used to cool the nuclear reactors into the sea, despite angry protests.

For this purpose, a tunnel was built that leads one kilometer into the Pacific Ocean. Japan justified the controversial measure by saying that there would soon be no more space for the tanks in which the radioactive cooling water is stored. This would hinder the decommissioning work on the nuclear ruins. Leaks could also occur in the event of another earthquake. Dumping the huge quantities of water is expected to take around 30 years./ln/DP/zb