There are still a lot of things to study as the attempt would be the first of its kind in the world." "We are still in the very, very early stages of the concept study. "I cannot say anything for sure yet," Yamana said. If it worked, however, then the same strategy could be deployed to help in the decommissioning of the remaining two damaged reactors at the facility. He emphasized, however, that the proposal was in the initial stages and no final decision had been taken. NDF experts plan to construct a massive concrete tank arond one of the reactor buildings Image: Getty Images/C. "No radioactive materials would be swirling up underwater, so there would be almost zero impact on the outside," Yamana told the Asahi newspaper. The plan was presented to the government at a meeting in Iwaki, just south of the plant, in early September, during which NDF President Hajimu Yamana explained the benefits. That, in turn, would permit experts to deploy robots to more closely examine the condition of the reactor, as well as the fuel that has escaped and pooled in the building's basement levels. The water would act as a shield to prevent radiation from escaping into the surrounding environment and give engineers more space, in which to operate heavy equipment to dismantle and remove the outer shell of the reactor building. In their latest annual strategy report on progress at the plant, experts at the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Office (NDF) have proposed the construction and filling with water of a massive concrete tank to completely enclose one of the reactor buildings. They warn, however, that the situation at the plant - on the northeast coast of Japan- remains precarious more than a decade since three of the six reactors suffered meltdowns after an offshore earthquake of magnitude 9 triggered a series of powerful tsunamis. He said he will continue to make efforts to gain their understanding over the next two years.Nuclear experts pondering the safest way to decommission the three crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic energy plant have devised a new plan to recover highly radioactive debris at the site, with even anti-nuclear campaigners giving the proposal their qualified support. Kajiyama is set to visit Fukushima on Tuesday afternoon to meet with local town and fisheries officials to explain the decision. The government has said it will do the utmost to support local fisheries, and the report said TEPCO would compensate for damages if they occur despite those efforts. China and South Korea have raised serious concerns about the discharge of the water and its potential impact. Japan will abide by international rules for a release, obtain support from the International Atomic Energy Agency and others, and ensure disclosure of data and transparency to gain an understanding of the international community, the report said. According to a preliminary estimate, gradual releases of water will take about 30 years but will be completed before the plant is fully decommissioned. The report it prepared last year mentioned evaporation as a less desirable option.Ībout 70% of the water in the tanks exceeds allowable discharge limits for contamination but will be filtered again and diluted with seawater before it is released, the report says. Releasing the water to the ocean was described as the most realistic method by a government panel that for nearly seven years had discussed how to dispose of the water without further harming Fukushima's image, fisheries and other businesses. The tanks also could be damaged and leak in case of another powerful earthquake or tsunami, the report said. Those tanks that occupy a large space at the plant complex interfere with the safe and steady progress of the decommissioning, Economy and Industry Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama said. Water is also pumped out and treated, part of which is recycled as cooling water, and the remainder stored in 1,020 tanks now holding 1.25 million tons of radioactive water. To make up for the loss, more water has been pumped into the reactors to continue to cool the melted fuel. In the decade since the tsunami disaster, water meant to cool the nuclear material has constantly escaped from the damaged primary containment vessels into the basements of the reactor buildings. Also, the area now filled with storage tanks will have to be freed up for building new facilities that will be needed for removing melted fuel debris from inside the reactors, a process expected to start in coming years. TEPCO says its water storage capacity of 1.37 million tons will be full around the fall of 2022. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |