Japan starts removing nuclear fuel from Fukushima reactor

Japan has officially launched a highly anticipated and dangerous phase of its nuclear cleanup, beginning the removal of nuclear fuel from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant's severely damaged No. 2 reactor on Tuesday.

The complex operation by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) marks a massive milestone in the decades-long decommissioning process of the site, which was devastated more than 15 years ago by the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

A total of 615 fuel assemblies—comprising 587 highly radioactive spent assemblies and 28 unused ones—remain inside the reactor's spent fuel pool. TEPCO engineers are extracting the unused fuel units first, as they present a significantly lower radiation risk if an accident occurs during handling. The utility aims to completely clear the No. 2 reactor pool by fiscal year 2028.

The environment inside the facility remains incredibly hostile. On the building's fifth floor where the pool sits, radiation levels spike up to 5 millisieverts per hour. Because these extreme levels severely limit the amount of time human crews can safely work in the area, technicians are using a remotely controlled crane to carefully lift each assembly. The fuel is being placed one by one into massive, shielded transport containers—known as casks—before being lowered onto trailers for secure storage.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada