Fukushima’s Molten Fuel Removal and Rising Costs Pose Challenges for Japan
After twelve years since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan has begun releasing treated radioactive water into the sea to facilitate the decommissioning of the stricken plant. However, the more daunting task of removing molten fuel remains, presenting unprecedented challenges for Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) and the Japanese government. As they work towards drawing a line under the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl by the middle of the century, here are the major challenges they face:
1. Molten Fuel Removal: Tepco describes the removal of highly radioactive fuel debris from the reactor cores as an unprecedented and difficult challenge never attempted anywhere in the world. Initial attempts at the No.2 reactor, which was scheduled for 2021, have been delayed twice and are now set to begin in October. Unlike at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, where fuel debris was kept under water during retrieval work, Japan plans to extract molten fuel while it is exposed to air. This approach, while necessary due to the damaged reactor cores, presents significant difficulties in protecting workers and retrieval equipment from strong radiation. With triple meltdowns at Fukushima compared to a single core meltdown at Three Mile Island, this operation will be larger and more complex.
2. Radioactive Soil: The 2011 accident led to the release of radiation into the air, contaminating the soil. A considerable amount of this contaminated soil is stored at an interim site, which is over four times the size of New York’s Central Park. However, according to the law, the soil stored at this interim site must be moved out of Fukushima within 30 years of the site’s operation beginning in 2015. As more than a quarter of that time has already elapsed, concerns are growing as the government has made little progress in securing a permanent storage location. The search for specific locations is expected to commence no earlier than 2025, according to the environment ministry.
3. Ballooning Costs: As of 2016, the Japanese government estimated that the costs of responding to the Fukushima disaster, including compensation, decommissioning, and decontamination efforts, would amount to 21.5 trillion yen ($148.6 billion). By March 2022, approximately 12.1 trillion yen had been spent on these activities, according to Japan’s audit panel. This represents over half of the government’s estimate and does not encompass the more challenging tasks, such as fuel debris retrieval. With Tepco still paying compensation to victims, their financial bottom line continues to be impacted. A private think tank, the Japan Center for Economic Research, predicted that compensation, decommissioning, and decontamination costs could rise to 41 trillion yen if Fukushima water were diluted and discharged into the sea.
As Japan and Tepco face these monumental challenges, they must navigate the complex task of removing molten fuel, address the storage of contaminated soil, and manage the escalating costs associated with responding to the Fukushima disaster. The cautious and meticulous approach taken by Japan will shape the future of nuclear decommissioning and serve as a valuable lesson for the global community.
