In response to recent contaminated water leaks at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has announced plans for new installations aimed at preventing future incidents.
TEPCO will install new piping and ventilation ports to ensure any leaked liquids are contained within the building, minimizing the spread of contamination. The construction is set to begin on Monday and is expected to finish by the end of the month.
The move follows a February incident where approximately 1.5 tonnes of radioactive water leaked due to human error. Last October, another accident directly exposed five workers to radioactive liquid waste.
The planned upgrades include cutting off existing piping connected to the high-temperature incinerator building and installing vertical pipes to direct gas emissions outside. Water will be collected in polyethylene containers with protective covers, and leaks will be monitored with cameras and detectors.
Additionally, TEPCO has requested approval for modifications to its decommissioning plan, including a new dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. The facility will house around half of the 9,532 spent fuel assemblies currently stored and is slated to begin construction within the plant premises in fiscal year 2025.
The Fukushima plant, struck by a magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, has been managing a large volume of radioactive water used to cool the reactors. In August 2023, Japan began discharging this wastewater into the Pacific Ocean amid ongoing safety and transparency concerns.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com