Top > Releases ・ Announcements > Press Releases > Status of TEPCO's Nuclear Power Stations after theTohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake > 2013 > Status of TEPCO's Nuclear Power Stations after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (Daily Report as of 3:00 PM on June 20)
Due to the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake which occurred on March 11, 2011, TEPCO's facilities including our nuclear power stations have been severely damaged. We deeply apologize for the anxiety and inconvenience caused.
With regard to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, on April 17, 2011, we have compiled the roadmap towards restoration from the accident and on July 19 we accomplished the Step1 target "Radiation dose is in steady decline". Then on December 16 we confirmed the accomplishment of the Step 2 target "Release of radioactive materials is under control and radiation doses are being significantly held down".
In addition, on December 21, 2011, we have compiled the "Mid-to-long-Term Roadmap toward the Decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Units 1-4, TEPCO".
In addition to the maintenance of the plant's stable condition, we will implement Mid-to-Long Term countermeasures towards the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Units 1-4 to enable evacuees to return to their homes as soon as possible and reduce the anxiety of the people in Fukushima and the whole nation as soon as possible.
Below is the status of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
* The updates are underlined.
[Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station]
・ Unit 1 to 4: Abolishment (April 19, 2012)
・ Unit 5 to 6: Outage due to regular inspections before the earthquake
- As for the underground reservoir No.2 installed within the power station site, 101Bq/cm3 level of radiation was detected as a result of analyzing the water accumulated between the sheet on the outside (bentonite sheet) and the ground (the underground reservoir is made of three layers of impermeable sheets) on April 3. On April 5, radiation was detected in the water between the sheet on the outside (bentonite sheet) and the sheet on the inside (double-layered permeable sheet) as a result of analysis. The radioactivity density of all β detected was approx. 5.9×103Bq/cm3. Considering that there is no drain ditch in the surrounding area, it is considered that there is no possibility of the leaked water flowing into the sea. At 5:10 AM on April 6, the incident was judged to be a leakage which is subject to the application of Article 19-17, Item 10 of the Rule for the Installation, Operation, etc. of Commercial Nuclear Power Reactors (Rule for Commercial Nuclear Power Reactors). The amount of leaked water is approx. 120m3, all γ radioactivity density is approx. 1.5×100Bq/cm3 and all β radioactivity density is approx. 5.9×103Bq/cm3, the γ ray radiation dose leaked is estimated to be approx. 1.8×108Bq and the β radiation dose is estimated to be approx. 7.1×1011Bq. Details are currently being investigated.
While enhancing the monitoring of the water level of the underground reservoir No.3, on April 7, sampling was performed on the water in the drain hole (southwest) and the leakage detection hole (southwest) of the underground reservoir No.3 for the purpose of investigating the leakage location.
Considering that all β nuclides were detected in the water in the leakage detection hole and the drain hole of the underground reservoir No.3 as a result of sampling, it was judged at 8:53 AM on the same day that there may be a small amount of leakage from the impermeable sheet on the outside (bentonite sheet) of the reservoir to the outside.
The samples collected in the morning of April 9 in the drain hole (at 2 locations) and the leakage detection hole (at 2 locations) of the underground reservoir No.1 have been analyzed. As a result, the chloride concentration of the water in the leakage detection hole (northeast) has increased from 4ppm (on the previous day) to 910ppm. At 12:47 PM, water transfer from the underground reservoir No.2 to No.1 utilizing temporary pumps was suspended. Considering that all β nuclides were detected as a result of sampling performed in the leakage detection hole of the underground reservoir No.1 for the purpose of investigating the leakage location, it was judged that there may be a small amount of leakage from the sheet on the inside (double -layer impermeable sheet) to the impermeable sheet on the outside (bentonite sheet) of the reservoir although the water level of the underground reservoir No.1 has not decreased and the analysis results of the drain hole water of the underground No.1 have not yet been confirmed.
On April 10, the soil covering the leakage detection hole (northeast) penetration of the underground reservoir No.2 was removed to perform a visual inspection of the penetration. The removal of the impermeable sheet, gravels, etc. will be continued. Furthermore, drilling work was started for the boring investigation to confirm the contamination condition of the surrounding area of the underground reservoirs and contamination expansion to the sea side. The work will be continued. Though water transfer from the underground reservoir No.3 to No.6 was started at 2:00 PM on the same day, the transfer pump was stopped at 2:03 PM as water leakage from the connection part (flange) of the transfer pump outlet pipe was found. The pipe flange was disassembled for cause investigation. As a result, the cause was identified to be the problem with the flange connection part (inhomogeneous amount of gap on the surfaces). The flange was recovered after replacing the gasket. Since no problem was found as a result of measuring the gaps on other flanges and checking the tightening condition of the flange bolts, the water transfer was started at 9:56 PM on April 12. As for the removal of the soil covering the upper part of the reservoir (embankment) where the leaked water is assumed to have been absorbed, further drilling was performed (a total of the drilling depth: 30-60cm) and the radioactivity density on the ground surface has been reduced down to 0.05mSv/h (β+γ) (max.). At 3:06 PM on April 14, the water transfer from the underground reservoir No.3 to No.6 was suspended as the transfer of the planned water amount had completed.
On April 12, sampling was performed in the drain holes of the underground reservoirs No.1-7 (at 14 locations) and the leakage detection holes of the underground reservoirs No.1-4 and 6 (sample could not be collected at 2 out of 10 locations). As a result, the all β density in the drain hole (northeast) of the underground reservoir No.1 was found to have increased during the period from April 10 to 12. Thus, it was judged that there has been a small amount of leakage from the sheet on the outside (bentonite sheet) to the outside. Since there is no drainage in the surrounding area, there is no possibility that the leaked water has flowed out to the sea.
On April 19, the filtrate water tank No.1 was detached from the transfer line between the buffer tank and the filtrate water tanks No.1/No.2 in order to prepare for the water transfer from the underground reservoir No.1 to the filtrate water tank.
<Measures to prevent the expansion of contaminated water>
On June 19, leaked water in the leakage detection holes at the underground reservoirs No.1-3 and leaked water in the drain holes at the underground reservoir No.2 were transferred to the notch tank.
Meanwhile, since the decrease of all-β radioactivity density in the leakage detection hole (northeast) at the underground reservoirs No.1 has been slow (3.4×102Bq/cm3 for sampling on June 18), dilution was performed on the underground reservoir No.1 on June 19 by transferring approx. 24m3 of desalination-system (RO) treated water (the all-β radioactivity density: approx. 1×101Bq/cm3) into the reservoir (the all-β radioactivity density of residual water in the underground reservoir No.1: 6.6×104Bq/cm3).
<Sampling>
On June 19, sampling was performed in the drain holes of the underground reservoirs No.1-7 (14 locations), the leakage detection holes of the underground reservoirs No.1-4 and 6 (sample could not be collected at 2 out of 10 locations), and the observation holes of the underground reservoirs (22 locations). As a result of the analysis, no significant change was found compared to the analysis results from the sampling performed previously (on June 18). Further, analysis for tritium was performed on water sampled on June 12 in the drain holes and leakage detection holes of the underground reservoirs No.1-4 and 6 (the analysis is performed once a week), As a result, no significant change was found compared to the previous analysis results.
- At 3:47 PM on June 11, water transfer from the underground reservoir No. 4 (for storage of water accumulated in Units 5 and 6) to F area tanks (temporary tanks) by way of the Unit 6 Turbine Building basement was started. At 4:50 PM on the same day, the transfer was stopped. Please note that water transfer from the underground reservoir No. 4 to the Unit 6 Turbine Building basement is carried out during the daytime using a temporary line.
- At 10:00 AM on June 19, accumulated water transfer from the Unit 6 Turbine Building basement to the temporary tanks was started. The transfer was suspended at 4:00 PM on the same day, and started at 10:03 AM on June 20.
- At 0:42 AM on June 20, a decrease was seen in the amount of water injected into Unit 3 Reactor, and we adjusted the amount by increasing the amount injected from the feed water system from approx. 1.8m3/h to approx. 2.0m3/h, and increasing the amount injected from the reactor core spray system from approx. 3.3m3/h to approx. 3.5m3/h.
- At 9:29 AM on June 20, the Unit 1 spent fuel pool alternative cooling system was suspended due to work to add antifreeze into the secondary system of this cooling system (the pool water temperature was 27.5℃ at the start of the suspension). The suspension is scheduled to continue until June 21, and we expect the pool water temperature to increase at a rate of 0.073℃/h. This indicates that there will be no problem in controlling the water temperature of the spent fuel pool.
- At 9:28 AM on June 14, the Unit 6 spent fuel pool cooling system was suspended (the pool water temperature was 21.7℃ at the start of the suspension) since all of the Unit 6 component seawater systems were suspended due to full inspection of the heat exchanger (C) of the Unit 6 turbine component cooling system. We started cooling operation alternating between the shutdown cooling system (for cooling the reactor) and the emergency heat load operation (for cooling the spent fuel pool) by using the residual heat removal system.
On June 20, the Unit 6 component seawater systems were restored upon completion of the full inspection of the Unit 6 turbine component cooling system heat exchanger (C). Then, operation of the spent fuel pool cooling system was started at 11:46 AM on the same day (the pool water temperature was 25.5℃ at the start of operation). No abnormality has been found with operation of the spent fuel pool cooling system so far.
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