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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Decommissioning Fukushima nuclear plant likely to take 30 years

National Oct. 29, 2011 - 06:31AM JST ( 12 )

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12 Comments

0

wanderlustOct. 29, 2011 - 07:33AM JST

Finally some realistic figures being quoted.

Though they have yet to develop any technology that can go inside the reactor basements and view the melted down fuel, to see the actual situation. Carbon-based workers would last just seconds in the "dry well" areas which were putting out more than 500 Sv/ hr at the beginning of October, that's 500,000 milliSieverts/ hour.
0

smithinjapanOct. 29, 2011 - 09:21AM JST

Imagine... if they started working on it NOW they could have completely eliminated nuclear power as an energy source by the time this wasted plan is decommissioned. They won't, though... the power companies will insist it's 'safe' and 'clean' and we'll still be cleaning up their messes instead of being clean years down the road.
0

herefornowOct. 29, 2011 - 09:40AM JST

Which means it will take 30 years for the public to stop paying for TEPCO's mistakes -- at least.
-1

zichiOct. 29, 2011 - 03:43PM JST

TEPCO and other leading experts have also stated it could take 70 years before this dreadful story is over, which would almost be the end of this century.

The estimated cost, at todays prices would be in excess of ¥20 trillion, and with that kind o time scale could easily double or even triple. Government figures have a bad habit of doing just that.

On a positive note, government review of energy since 3/11 is stating less use of nuclear energy and greater use of renewables.

The Fujitsu Research Institute ran a "model" and came up with results that by 2020, nuclear energy would only account for 16.7% of energy used, down from the current rate of about 27%. Renewables would be 11.2%, up from less than 2% at the moment.

At least something will be moving in the right direction with the greater use of wind turbines, various methods of solar power, biomass and tidal wave generators and a likely increase of the use of geothermal power from the current level of less than 2% to about 15%.
-1

zichiOct. 29, 2011 - 03:45PM JST

While something like 6,000 tons of nuclear fuel and waste remain on site, the danger from another earthquake or tsunami will remain a possibility. I would like to at least see all the spent fuel removed from the plant.
-1

YongYangOct. 29, 2011 - 04:56PM JST

Oh, that CHEAP electricity. The people who try this as cheap energy are deniers of truth.
0

zichiOct. 30, 2011 - 03:21AM JST

A better description is when TEPCO "stabilises the reactors" rather than "cold shut down!"
2

zichiOct. 30, 2011 - 04:02AM JST

ChrisDubois,

a cold shut down would be a normal operation when the fuel rods are protected to stop any further nuclear reaction. This can be done by the operator, as in preparing to replace the fuel rods. This should happen automatically in an earthquake. After a further period of allowing the fuel rods to cool, the lid of the pressure reactor vessel can be opened giving access to the rods.

What happened with reactors 1-3 was a meltdown because the reactors shut down from the earthquake but very quickly lost the coolant so the fuel rod assemblies melted down and felt to the base of the pressurised reactor vessel. They further melted through the reactor vessel and fell into the concrete and steel containment vessel.

And from there......

So technically its not a cold shutdown. The definition used by TEPCO is when the temperature at the base of the reactor vessel down below the boiling point of water, so no further highly reactive steam is produced. TEPCO have achieved that with 1-3 reactors.

I would say, TEPCO have stabilised the reactors when the temp downs, no water is leaking and they have filled the reactor with nitrogen to prevent further hydrogen being produced.
0

the_harperOct. 30, 2011 - 06:37AM JST

At least there's finally a lid on a large part of the problem; http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/29_03.html
2

zichiOct. 30, 2011 - 07:06AM JST

ChrisDubois,

you will have no problems visiting any place in western Japan, but that is equally true with most place in east Japan too. Tokyo is safe. Just avoid the areas hit by the disaster.

Even the best of technologies can go wrong but when it involves atomic energy its just that much worse. I would just follow the advice issued by your own country rather than anything on websites, including this one too. I live in Kobe, wonderful city to visit.
2

zichiOct. 30, 2011 - 07:24AM JST

the-harper

"there isn't a lid on anything yet", in sprite of the temporary cover over reactor building No1. Inside that building the radiation is too high that no carbon robot can enter.

The are many hotspots of deadly radiation around the plant. Inside the reactor buildings 1-3 the radiation remain high.

In reactor building No1 there's more than 70,000 tons of highly reactive water.

TEPCO has no ideas about how to deal with the melted fuel or even where it might be.

The progress will be very slow and the disaster still remains at the highest level 7.
2

zichiOct. 30, 2011 - 08:18AM JST

About 80,000 Fukushima victims remain desperate, angry and homeless. They are furious at the amount of red tape in order to claim compensation and can't get on with their lives eight months since 3/11.

After claimants have read a 160-page instruction manual, they then have to fill in a 60-page form and attach receipts for lodging, transportation and medical costs.

TEPCO have now issued a simplified 4-page instruction booklet and dispatched 1,000 workers to the prefecture to help victims with the process.

A government panel overseeing the compensation scheme estimates claims are likely to reach¥3.6 trillion ($46.5 billion) in the financial year to next March.

But so far just 7,100 individuals have applied to TEPCO for compensation out of the 80,000 it send forms to.

And of the 10,000 businesses in the Fukushima area, a mere 300 have submitted claims.

The company expects a total of 300,000 claims from businesses given that the impact of the radiation crisis has been so widespread.