Getting serious

April 17, 2012

Workers prepare No.4 pool for fuel removal

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120417_15.html

Workers will begin preparing the No. 4 reactor building at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant on Tuesday for the complex job of removing nuclear rods from its spent fuel pool.

A hydrogen explosion severely damaged the building following last March's massive earthquake and tsunami. Before the structure can be demolished, more than 1,500 fuel rods have to be removed.

On Tuesday, Tokyo Electric Power Company will begin attaching a special crane to take the fuel out of the pool and constructing a cover to prevent the spread of radioactive materials from the building. The cover will be 31 meters long and 69 meters wide and 53 meters high.

Unlike the shroud that entirely covers the No. 1 reactor building, the structure will cover only the upper part of the pool for the No. 4 reactor.

TEPCO will also install a filter to prevent the spread of radioactive materials.

The cover is expected to be completed by autumn next year. Spent nuclear fuel will then be removed from the pool and stored on the plant compound.