Japanese regulators give approval to giant ‘ice wall’ to contain radioactive waste at Fukushima nuclear plant
The project involves refrigeration pipes dug 30 metres underground that are designed to freeze the soil around them.
Japanese regulators on Wednesday approved the use of a giant refrigeration system to create an unprecedented underground frozen barrier around buildings at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant in an attempt to contain leaking radioactive water.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said the structure, which was completed last month, can now be activated.
The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., said it plans to turn on the ice wall on Thursday, starting with the portion near the sea to prevent more contaminated water from escaping into the Pacific Ocean. The system will be started up in phases to allow close monitoring and adjustment.
Nearly 800,000 tons of radioactive water that is already being stored in 1,000 industrial tanks at the plant has been hampering the decontamination and decommissioning of the nuclear facility, which was damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
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The success of the ice wall is believed to be key to resolving the plant’s water woes. The 35 billion yen government-funded project, proposed by construction giant Kajima Corp, is more than a year behind schedule because of technical uncertainties. Some experts are still sceptical of the technology and question whether it’s worth the huge cost.
The project consists of refrigeration pipes dug 30 metres underground that are designed to freeze the soil around them. They are supposed to form a 1.5km wall around the reactor and turbine buildings to contain radioactive water and keep out groundwater.