ALPS: not before Autumn

May 24, 2013

Water decontamination device to be used in fall

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130524_34.html

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is expected to start full operations this year of a system to remove accumulated radioactive wastewater.

The Advanced Liquid Processing System, or ALPS, can filter 62 types of radioactive material.

Tokyo Electric Power Company has 3 such systems. Operators have carried out a performance test for one of them since late March.

TEPCO reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Authority on Friday at a meeting of experts that the test met with no problems.

The Nuclear Regulatory Authority authorized TEPCO to test the remaining 2 systems from mid-June.

The ALPS systems are expected to go fully operational in several months, barring any problems.

The system operations have been delayed partly because containers were not strong enough to hold radioactive waste water.

Each system is capable of treating 250 tons of contaminated water daily.

About 400 tons of contaminated water is accumulated every day at Fukushima Daiichi.

The government and TEPCO hope to enable operation of the ALPS systems as soon as possible by ensuring the safety of storage tanks and minimizing risks arising from the decontamination process.