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 nuclear power stations (Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini).
* 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
- A worker of TEPCO confirmed a decrease in the amounts of water injection for Unit 1 - 3 reactors as below at 3:00 PM on August 30 at the regular data check.
Unit 1: The amount of water injection decreased from 4.9m3/h (at 2:00 PM) to 4.0m3/h.
(The required amount of water injection: 4.3m3/h.)
Unit 2: The amount of water injection decreased from 7.0m3/h (at 2:00 PM) to 5.5m3/h.
(The required amount of water injection: 6.1m3/h.)
Unit 3: The amount of water injection decreased from 7.0m3/h (at 2:00 PM) to 5.6m3/h.
(The required amount of water injection: 6.1m3/h.)
The shift supervisor judged that the condition did not satisfy the "Operational Requirements" defined by the Technical Specification" for Unit 2 at 3:00 PM, for Unit 3 at 3:05 PM and for Unit 1 at 3:07 on the same day. Though we attempted to increase the water injection amounts at the site, the amounts kept decreasing. The water injection amounts were continuously monitored and have been adjusted as necessary. As a result of site investigation, no water leakage from the reactor injection system was found. Upon checking the regular reactor injection water pump on the hill (B) and (C) which were in operation when the injection amounts started decreasing, no air intrusion was found in the pumps.
Since there was a possibility of dust or substance attached to the flow rate adjustment valves, flushing was done on these valves on August 31.
(The required amounts of water injection for each unit were changed as follows on September 1. Unit 1: 3.8m3/h, Unit 2: 5.4m3/h, Unit 2: 5.4 m3/h)
On September 2, the opening amounts of the flow rate adjustment valves were
increased to prevent substances from being attached on them as a part of investigating
the cause of the flow rate decrease. The injection water amounts are continuously
monitored and adjusted as necessary.
From 11:55 AM to 1:00 PM on September 4, the spool installed on the inlet side of the regular reactor injection water pump on the hill (C) on stand-by was removed for inside inspection. From 12:00 PM to 12:50 PM, investigation on the substances attached on the strainers installed at the entrance of the refrigerators used for buffer tank water cooling (2 out of 6 refrigerators). Though no substance was found inside the inlet pipe of the regular reactor injection water pump on the hill (C), some (brown and white) were found on the strainers installed at the entrance of refrigerators for buffer tank water cooling. On September 5*, a camera was inserted into the buffer tank from the man hole above the buffer tank and white suspended materials were found in the tank as a result.
Since no significant flow rate decrease was found after the previous report (as of 3:00 PM on September 5), the water injection amounts have not been adjusted.
We will continue to investigate on the cause of this matter and monitor the water injection amounts. No significant change has been found with the bottom of RPV of each unit, other plant parameters and the monitoring post data.
- At 4:25 AM on September 5, an alarm indicating an overload trip at the station power source went off at the Main Anti-Earthquake Building, and the power sources for the main gate, the west gate and the Cooperative Company Center Welfare Building were found to be turned off. Since the continuous dust monitoring equipment at the main gate became unavailable due to this, the nonrequirement of full-face mask was temporarily suspended at 5:05 AM. As the continuous dust monitoring equipment was recovered after switching to an alternate power source, the suspension of the nonrequirement of full face mask was lifted at 6:15 AM. This matter had no impact on Unit 1-6 plants, parameters and monitoring post data. At 9:40 AM, a breaker was brought in and the power sources were inspected in the process of recovery work which was completed at 12:44 PM. The continuous dust monitoring equipment was also recovered with the permanent power source at 10:10 AM.
- At 5:10 PM on September 5, we started transferring the accumulated water in Unit 2 Turbine Building basement to Unit 3 Turbine Building basement.
- At 5:31 PM on September 4, we started transferring the accumulated water in Unit 4 Turbine Building basement to the Central Radioactive Waste Treatment Facility (Miscellaneous Solid Waste Volume Reduction Treatment Building [High Temperature Incinerator Building]). At 10:08 AM on September 6, the transfer was stopped. At 10:19 AM on the same day, the transfer was restarted.
- On September 6, dust sampling was conducted in the upper part of Unit 3 Reactor Building.
- At September 6, sampling was conducted at the charcoal filter and the particulate filter of Unit 3 PCV gas control system.
[ Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station ]
·Unit 1 to 4: Shutdown due to the earthquake.
* In our previous press release, it said "on the same day", however it has been corrected to "on September 5". Please accept our apologies for this mistake. (Corrected on September 7, 2012)
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Appendix:
Past Progress (As of 3:00 pm, on September 6, 2012) (PDF 516KB)
Appendix:
Past Progress (From March 11, 2011 to December 31, 2011) (PDF 523KB)
*
Revised past progress
The aforementioned attachments are only available in Japanese.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.