Progress in Efforts for Decommissioning
< Fuel removal from the spent fuel pool >
Removal of all fuel assemblies from the spent fuel pool was completed at Unit 4 in December 2014 and at Unit 3 in February 2021, and the risk of discharge of radioactive materials caused by the breaking down of spent fuel due to failure to cool it down was significantly reduced.
At present, at Units 1 and 2, preparatory work is being carried out while placing top priority on ensuring safety, such as the installation of large covers for further suppressing the scattering of dust at the time of clearing rubble at Unit 1 and the installation of a working platform for removing fuel at Unit 2.
< Fuel debris retrieval >
The retrieval works are scheduled to be commenced at Unit 2 first on a trial basis, and the scale will be sequentially expanded in stages.1
Investigations of the inside of containment vessels by using robots that were developed based on cutting-edge technologies have been conducted so far. Efforts will be continued to develop technologies necessary for those investigations and fuel debris retrieval (such as robot arms), and systems to analyze property of fuel debris and to confine radioactive materials.
- Based on the status of the development, etc. of robot arms, which are necessary for trial retrieval of fuel debris, the plan will be reviewed in around the latter half of FY2023.
- Included in this reference material on February 28, 2018
- Updated on March 31, 2023