On May 15 local time, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) kicked off its second trial extraction of fuel debris from Reactor Unit 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This marks another crucial step in a decade-long mission to clean up the site of the 2011 disaster.
The operation is set to span about 12 days. Once the hardened material is extracted, it will be shipped to a Japan Atomic Energy Agency facility in Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, where specialists will analyze its composition and behaviors to inform future decommissioning work.
Back in November 2024, TEPCO achieved a landmark success by moving debris out of Unit 2âs containment vessel for the first time since the meltdown. That initial trial proved the methods could workâand this second run will refine techniques, improve safety protocols, and offer data-driven insights for engineers and policy makers worldwide.
In March 2011, a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami disabled cooling systems at Units 1 to 3, leading to core meltdowns and about 880 metric tons of melted fuel forming solid debris inside the reactors. Removing this material is one of the most complex challenges in nuclear decommissioning history, demanding innovation, precision, and global collaboration.
As TEPCOâs teams navigate this intricate process, the lessons learned could shape the future of nuclear cleanup projects around the world, offering a blueprint for both technological breakthroughs and sustainable recovery in disaster-hit regions.
Reference(s):
TEPCO Launches Second Round of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 Fuel Debris Removal
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