Fukushima Cleanup Faces Setback: Technical Issue Halts Robotic Fuel Sampling

A technical issue halted the use of a telescoping robot to collect a fuel sample from Fukushima Daiichi's Unit 2 reactor. This marks a setback in Japan's decades-long decommissioning plan following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The robot was to initiate fuel debris removal, starting with a tiny sample.

The mission to use a telescoping robot to collect a sample of melted fuel from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was abruptly halted Thursday due to a technical glitch.

The halted mission aimed to launch the fuel debris removal phase, a critical component of the lengthy decommissioning process of the plant, which was devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

According to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, the work was paused when workers found that five pipes crucial for maneuvering the robot were assembled incorrectly, exceeding the time limits for radiation exposure. This robot's task is paramount, aiming to capture and retrieve a minuscule sample of the radioactive debris, kickstarting the grueling decommissioning journey.

(With inputs from agencies.)