Work Plan Undecided... Previously Halted Three Times
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in Japan has once again halted the removal work of nuclear fuel debris (debris) from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant due to a malfunction in the device's camera.
On the 17th, Kyodo News reported that TEPCO was unable to carry out the nuclear fuel extraction work because no footage was coming from the camera attached to the fishing rod-shaped removal device pushed inside the reactor of Unit 2 at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
According to Kyodo News, the radiation level inside the reactor containment vessel is extremely high, so the device is operated remotely, making camera footage essential. The removal device is equipped with four cameras, and it is reported that two of them are malfunctioning.
If the removal work is delayed again due to the camera malfunction, this will be the fourth postponement. The removal work was originally scheduled to start in 2021 but has been postponed three times. According to local public broadcaster NHK, the cause of the camera malfunction is under investigation, and the work schedule after the 18th has not yet been decided.
Because nuclear fuel debris emits very strong radiation, its removal is considered the most difficult task in the decommissioning process of the accident-affected nuclear power plant. TEPCO has never succeeded in removing nuclear fuel debris since the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. This time, they are attempting to extract the debris using a newly developed, extendable pipe up to 22 meters long, with a claw-shaped device attached to the end.
The removal work began on the 22nd of last month but was halted due to incorrect equipment placement order. The work resumed on the 10th of this month.
Regarding the repeated halts in the removal work, Kyodo News pointed out, "Although this is an important process for decommissioning the nuclear power plant, the continuous occurrence of problems makes it inevitable that TEPCO's credibility will further decline."
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