TEPCO restarts trial retrieval of Fukushima fuel debris

Tokyo Electric Power Company announced yesterday that is has recommenced a trial exercise to retrieve nuclear fuel debris from Unit 2 of Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. TEPCO is attempting to retrieve a small amount of fuel debris from Unit 2's pressure vessel for analysis before beginning a large-scale removal of the debris.

Soon after initiating it in late August, TEPCO suspended the exercise when problems arose with the telescopic arm used to retrieve the fuel debris samples from within the Unit 2 containment. After fixing the problem, the trial was resumed in September but then resuspended when it was found that cameras attached to the telescopic arms were not working properly. TEPCO believes that the high radiation in the vessel may have caused the camera to temporarily shut down.

Current status: TEPCO said it replaced the cameras and tested the system on October 16-18. After completing a final check of the system, operators opened the penetration through the pressure vessel on the morning of October 28 and inserted the guide pipe and push pipe for the telescopic arm.

"We will continue to remain vigilant and prioritize safety as we aim to complete decommissioning," TEPCO said in an announcement.