Fuel being removed from reactor affected by earthquake and tsunami
Oct. 05, 2012
TOKYO --Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) started October 1 to remove fuel from the unit 4 reactor of Fukushima II nuclear power station, which is making a recovery from damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and associated tsunami in March last year. At Fukushima II, TEPCO plans to open the reactors sequentially after fully recovering their cooling systems and then transfer the spent fuel into the fuel pools. The company aims to simplify fuel management and improve safety by managing the fuel comprehensively in the pools.
The cooling systems of unit 4 were fully recovered and their inspection and assessment were completed by May 17 this year. The overhead cranes and other equipment required for reactor opening and fuel transfer had also been inspected and assessed by July 2. The reactor opening was conducted from September 10 to 21, and fuel transfer started on October 1.
Unit 4 will complete the removal of all 764 fuel assemblies by the end of October and start in-core inspections in late November. TEPCO will work on the other units sequentially to complete the recovery of the cooling systems of all four units by the end of fiscal 2012 and complete fuel removal and in-core inspections by the end of fiscal 2014.