nuclear-news

Experts propose two methods to scrap Daiichi plant

July 26, 2020

Japanese atomic energy experts have proposed two ways to decommission the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The Atomic Energy Society of Japan floated the two methods in a report.

One proposal is to dismantle and remove all parts of the reactor buildings and leave the site vacant. The other is to dismantle and remove parts of the reactor buildings that are above ground and leave behind the underground structures.

The experts say each method has been studied in the United States and European countries.

They say amounts of radioactive waste to be generated during decommissioning work will vary significantly, depending on when the dismantling of reactor buildings begins — namely, starting to dismantle contaminated buildings soon or waiting a certain period for their radiation levels to drop.

A decommissioning timeline released by the Japanese government and the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, shows the scrapping process will be completed by 2051. But the plan is unclear on how the reactor buildings will be decommissioned.

Miyano Hiroshi, a member of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, says it will be difficult to draw a conclusion from various arguments on how to decommission the plant. But he adds discussions are important and that he hopes the society’s report will contribute to the debate.

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August 3, 2020 - Posted by dunrenard | Fukushima 2020 | decommissioning, Fukushima Prefecture