Japan's TEPCO halts preparations to remove nuclear debris from Fukushima plant
Adds details in paragraphs 2-7; changes sourcing
TOKYO, Aug 22 (Reuters) -Japan's Tokyo Electric Power 9501.T has suspended preparation work for the test removal of nuclear fuel debris from the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant, a company spokesperson said.
The preparatory work was suspended due to an error in the installation of the extraction equipment and it is unclear when the work, the first of its kind since the accident in 2011, may resume, he added.
The work was initially planned to start in 2021, but was pushed back due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the spokesperson.
The debris, which consist of nuclear fuel and parts of the plant's infrastructure, is estimated to weigh around 880 tons and is still radioactive, said public broadcaster NHK which first reported the news on Thursday.
"The trial removal of nuclear fuel debris is the most important phase of the decommissioning process, so it is necessary to proceed with extremely safely," NHK quoted TEPCO's President Tomoaki Kobayakawa as saying on Thursday.
Last August, TEPCO started to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima plant, part of the decomissioning process, which resulted in a ban of Japanese seafood imports by China, Japan's top seafood buyer at a time.
Russia has followed China to ban seafood imports from Japan over safety concerns that Tokyo has said are scientifically unjustified.
Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama and Yuka Obayashi;
Writing by Katya Golubkova;
Editing by Kim Coghill
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.