Japan Will Discharge Third Round of Fukushima Waste Water On Nov 02

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Japan Will Discharge Third Round of Fukushima Waste Water On Nov 02

Japan Will Discharge Third Round of Fukushima Waste Water On Nov 02

Since this summer, an increasing number of Japan’s aging nuclear power plants have been brought back into operation, raising concerns about nuclear power plant safety within the country.

On October 26th, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced that the third batch of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station will be discharged starting on November 2nd.

TEPCO stated on the 26th that the third round of seawater discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station will commence on November 2nd, with a discharge volume identical to the previous rounds, approximately 7,800 tons, to be discharged over a period of approximately 17 days.

Japan Will Discharge Third Round of Fukushima Waste Water On Nov 02.

After analyzing the radioactive substances in the treated water intended for discharge, the results indicate that it does not exceed the standards set by the Japanese government and TEPCO. The preparations for discharging the treated water will begin on October 30th, as a small amount of the treated water diluted with seawater will be placed in a large tank for testing the concentration of the radioactive substance tritium to confirm if it meets the expected levels.

The second round of ocean discharge occurred between October 5th and 23rd. During this period, seawater collected near the nuclear power plant revealed a tritium concentration of 22 becquerels per liter, the highest level detected since the start of the discharge. However, it remains significantly below the World Health Organization’s drinking water standard of 10,000 becquerels.

TEPCO’s plan includes four discharges of treated water in the fiscal year 2023, with a total estimated tritium quantity of around 5 quadrillion becquerels, which is less than one-quarter of the annual discharge limit of 22 quadrillion becquerels.

Despite strong opposition from both within Japan and internationally, the Japanese government and TEPCO proceeded with the discharge of radioactive wastewater on August 24th.

The first round of discharge concluded on September 11th, and from October 5th to October 23rd, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station initiated the second batch of seawater discharge. Currently, the cumulative discharge from these two rounds has exceeded 15,000 tons.

The third batch’s discharge volume remains the same as the previous two, with TEPCO stating that if the discharge equipment and weather conditions allow, it will be conducted as planned between November 2nd and November 20th, with an approximate volume of 7,800 tons.

According to TEPCO’s plan, a total of 31,200 tons of nuclear-contaminated water will be discharged in four phases by the end of the fiscal year 2023. It is estimated that it will take at least 30 years to completely eliminate the existing nuclear-contaminated water.

As of October 19th, data from TEPCO’s official website revealed that the storage of multi-nuclide removal equipment (ALPS)-treated water and strontium-treated water had reached approximately 1.3322 million cubic meters, accounting for about 97% of the total storage. There is still 70% of nuclear-contaminated water waiting for ALPS treatment. The total volume of nuclear-contaminated water decreased by only 0.8% since the start of the discharge on August 24th.

On October 25th, during the process of handling radioactive substances in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station’s nuclear-contaminated water, a water pipe dislodged, causing nuclear-contaminated water to splash. Five workers came into contact with radioactive water, despite wearing masks and full-body protective suits. However, the radiation levels on the surfaces of two individuals did not drop below safety standards, and they are currently undergoing decontamination procedures.

The decision to restart aging nuclear power plants has sparked controversy both domestically and internationally since Japan initiated the process of “discharge into the ocean.” On October 16, as a preventive measure, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian Federation announced temporary restrictions on the import of fish and seafood from Japan starting from October 16, 2023. This suspension will continue until Japan provides comprehensive and necessary information to confirm the safety of seafood and compliance with the requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union, followed by expert analysis by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance.

In a domestic poll released at the end of September, 61% of Fukushima residents believed that the explanations given by the Japanese government and TEPCO regarding the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water were inadequate.

Within Japan, following the government’s policy to maximize the use of nuclear power plants in 2022, concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants have grown as more and more aging nuclear power plants have been brought back into operation since this summer.

In May of this year, Japan passed legislation allowing nuclear power plants to operate for more than 60 years. Prior to this, Japanese law stipulated that the operational lifespan of a nuclear reactor was approximately 40 years, after which it would be decommissioned. The new legislation calculates the reactor’s operational time without considering offline periods (which can be several years in some cases), thus extending the reactor’s lifespan.

In September, Kansai Electric Power Company restarted the No. 2 reactor at the Takahama Nuclear Power Station, which officially began operations on October 16th. This marked the 12th nuclear power plant to be restarted domestically after the Fukushima nuclear accident. It is noteworthy that this reactor has been in operation for 47 years, making it one of the “aging” reactors in Japan, second only to the No. 1 reactor at Takahama, which was restarted in July 2023, 48 years after its initial operation. Currently, there are three nuclear power reactors in Japan that have been operating for over 40 years.