Sample of Nuclear Fuel Debris Removed from Fukushima Power Plant; Material to be Analyzed Prior to Full-Scale Extraction

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. successfully removed a small amount of nuclear fuel residue from the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Thursday.

The experimental extraction is the first time debris has been sampled since the 2011 nuclear accident at the facility. The debris will be analyzed and used as a reference for future full-scale removal.

The debris had been stored in a small aluminum can inside a metal casing attached to the reactor containment vessel since Wednesday, according to TEPCO. At around 11.40am on Thursday, the box was placed in a special container of resin. At this point, TEPCO considers the removal of the test to be complete.

The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant accident involved meltdowns at reactors No. 1, 2 and 3. An estimated 880 tons of debris were created when molten nuclear fuel was mixed with molten parts of the reactor structure. The debris is believed to be around 5 millimeters in size and weigh less than 3 grams.

The debris sample will be transported to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s institute in Ibaraki Prefecture, which will analyze the composition and hardness of the debris for several months to a year, and its findings will be used to select the full range of methods and tools. Large-scale removal of debris in the early 2030s.