Tokyo Electric Power Prepares for Critical Fukushima Debris Removal Restart

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is preparing to announce a new date for the restart of the trial removal of nuclear fuel debris from the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The original attempt was halted due to an equipment error, and the work, initially planned for 2021, had been delayed due to COVID-19.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is set to spend several days on preparatory work before announcing a new date for the restart of the trial removal of nuclear fuel debris from the Fukushima Daiichi plant. This follows the suspension of the original attempt on August 22 due to an installation error in the extraction equipment.

The debris, comprising nuclear fuel and parts of the plant's infrastructure and estimated to weigh around 880 tons, was originally scheduled for removal in 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant delays. A TEPCO official has assured that preparation work is ongoing and an announcement on the new restart date will be made shortly.

Last August, TEPCO initiated the release of treated radioactive water from the plant, leading to a ban on Japanese seafood imports by China, Japan's major seafood buyer. If preparations proceed without any issues, the trial removal of debris is expected to resume next week.

(With inputs from agencies.)