TEPCO hoping to get knowhow from Sellafield

May 2, 2013

TEPCO to cooperate with Britain's Sellafield

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140502_33.html 

A division of the Tokyo Electric Power Company will cooperate with a British company to improve in areas such as management of nuclear waste and contaminated water.

TEPCO's Chief Decommissioning Officer Naohiro Masuda and Sellafield Managing Director Tony Price signed an agreement in London on Thursday.

TEPCO is seeking input from other countries as it decommissions the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant -- a challenge that is projected to take 40 years.

TEPCO's arm dedicated to the project hopes to gain knowhow from Sellafield. The British company has taken part in decommissioning reactors and managing contaminated water.

TEPCO hopes for a long-term exchange of information on operating facilities that are part of the decommissioning process.

Sellafield is interested in the water treatment system and robots used at the Fukushima plant.

The main challenges TEPCO faces at the plant include retrieving melted fuel from reactor vessels, dealing with buildup and leaks of contaminated water, and ensuring the stable operation of makeshift facilities.

May 2, 2014 - Updated 08:27 UTC