Fukushima Daiichi’s First Debris Retrieval in Reactor 2 – A Slow Start

(Photo released by Tepco on 10/30/2024)

Resuming Debris Retrieval Amid Setbacks

After over a month’s delay, TEPCO has resumed trial fuel debris retrieval from Reactor 2. The process, intended to begin in August, faced repeated delays due to operational issues and high radiation levels. On October 28, TEPCO successfully reactivated its telescopic retrieval device following previous camera malfunctions that paused work in September.

Less Than 3 Grams Recovered Out of 880 Tons

The recent retrieval extracted under 3 grams of radioactive material—just a fraction of the estimated 880 tons of fuel debris across reactors. This preliminary collection will be analyzed at a specialized lab to inform full-scale removal strategies. TEPCO maintains that safety remains the highest priority, with worker exposure capped at 24 mSv/hr.

Challenges Ahead

The retrieval device, operated through remote controls, encounters substantial difficulties in navigating radiation-dense zones within the primary containment vessel (PCV). This third attempt at debris extraction reflects TEPCO’s persistence but underscores the immense challenge of handling irradiated material nearly 13 years after the disaster.

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About this site

This website updates the latest news about the Fukushima nuclear plant and also archives the past news from 2011. Because it's always updated and added live, articles, categories and the tags are not necessarily fitted in the latest format.
I am the writer of this website. About page remains in 2014. This is because my memory about 311 was clearer than now, 2023, and I think it can have a historical value. Now I'm living in Romania with 3 cats as an independent data scientist.
Actually, nothing has progressed in the plant since 2011. We still don't even know what is going on inside. They must keep cooling the crippled reactors by water, but additionally groundwater keeps flowing into the reactor buildings from the broken parts. This is why highly contaminated water is always produced more than it can circulate. Tepco is planning to officially discharge this water to the Pacific but Tritium is still remaining in it. They dilute this with seawater so that it is legally safe, but scientifically the same amount of radioactive tritium is contained. They say it is safe to discharge, but none of them have drunk it.

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