▲ View of Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant


Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Co., Ltd. has decided to start the release of nuclear fuel from the spent fuel pool (tank) of Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in late 2025, Kyodo News reported today (22).

TEPCO has announced that it will begin work on removing 1 pieces of nuclear fuel from Fukushima Nuclear Plant No. 2 Unit 615 from 2024 to 2026, and has revealed a specific schedule this time.

TEPCO explained, "The preparatory work is progressing smoothly and we are at the stage to announce the schedule."

To release the fuel, a new 45-meter-high workbench must be built adjacent to the south side of the building and the equipment must be placed through a hole in the wall.

The released nuclear fuel is transferred to a tank that can be stored reliably.

TEPCO estimates that the work will take about two years to complete.

The Fukushima First Nuclear Power Plant consists of Units 2 to 1, of which only Units 1 and 6 have been terminated from exporting nuclear fuel.

During the Fukushima nuclear accident, the facilities where core melting (meltdown) occurred are Units 3 to 4.

TEPCO plans to release all nuclear fuel from the Fukushima First Nuclear Power Plant by 1 in preparation for the cooling shutdown caused by the earthquake and tsunami, but it is unclear whether this will be realized.

TEPCO plans to start discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima No. 3 nuclear plant this summer.

(Photo=AP, Yonhap News)