Asia

Asia

Japan to begin discharging second batch of purified Fukushima water on October 5

29 September 2023 06:28 (UTC +04:00)

Next week, Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) company will begin the discharge of the second batch of purified water from its crippled Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, APA reports citing TASS.

The company told reporters that the process is scheduled to begin on October 5.

In March 2011, a tsunami struck the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, knocking out power and cooling facilities, resulting in the meltdown of nuclear fuel in three reactors, the destruction of their vessels, explosions and the release of large amounts of radioactive material. To date, the territory of the plant and surrounding areas have been practically cleaned up. However, water is being continuously poured into the destroyed reactors to cool the nuclear fuel fragments, flowing out through gaps with heavy radioactive contamination.

It is treated, but afterwards still contains tritium, which cannot be removed. More than 1,34 million tons of water has now accumulated on the territory of the nuclear power plant, filling more than 1,040 steel tanks. The Japanese government previously decided to gradually release the treated water into the ocean. This operation will take 30-40 years.