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. On September 6, the substances attached on the filter used for buffer tank water sampling were analyzed, and it was found that the metal composition of the substances was mostly iron, which is of no risk. From around 9:32 AM on September 8, purification of the buffer tank water (to eliminate the suspended materials in it) was started using an underwater pump. At 1:40 PM on the same day, the purification was completed.
At 9:00 AM on September 9, purification of the buffer tank water (to eliminate the suspended materials in it) was started using an underwater pump. At 1:30 PM on the same day, the purification was completed.
At 9:00 AM on September 10, purification of the buffer tank water (to eliminate the suspended materials in it) was started using an underwater pump. At 1:00 PM on the same day, the purification was completed.
At 10:42 AM on September 11, the set value for the alarm indicating a decrease of Unit 1-3 reactor injection water amounts has been set to the current decay heat equivalent water injection amount. The set value will be changed as necessary.
After the flow rates have been stable since they were adjusted on September 7 and the quality of the buffer tank water has improved to the level before the flow rate decrease as a result of water quality analysis. In addition, the substances in the water have clearly decreased when visually observed and the alarm set value has been changed. Based on the above, it has been judged that the condition had recovered to the state which fulfills the "operational requirement" stipulated in the technical specification for the nuclear reactor facility at 4:00 PM on September 13.
Though the water injection amounts were continuously monitored afterwards, the amounts have been adjusted as below since a decrease in flow rates was found at Unit 1 and 2. The necessary water injection amounts are being secured for both units.
At 2:26 AM on September 14
[Unit 1] Feed water system: Increased from 2.5m3/h to 2.8m3/h, Reactor core spray system: No change (Maintained at 2.0m3/h) (In total, increased from 4.5m3/h to 4.8m3/h)
At 7:27 AM on September 14
[Unit 2] Feed water system: Increased from 1.3m3/h to 1.8m3/h, Reactor core spray system: No change (Maintained at 4.8m3/h) (In total, increased from 6.1m3/h to 6.6m3/h)
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 10:29 AM on September 14, we started transferring the accumulated water in Unit 2 Turbine Building basement to Unit 3 Turbine Building basement.
- At 10:22 AM on September 11, we started transferring the accumulated water in Unit 3 Turbine Building basement to the Central Radioactive Waste Treatment Facility (Miscellaneous Solid Waste Volume Reduction Treatment Building [High Temperature Incinerator Building]). At 10:54 AM on September 14, the transfer was stopped.
- At 10:45 AM on September 14, 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]).
[ Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station ]
· Unit 1 to 4: Shutdown due to the earthquake.
- On September 14, Unit 4 RPV lid was removed. The steam dryer and the steam-water separator are planned to be removed in order.
Appendix:
Past Progress (As of 3:00 pm, on September 14, 2012) (PDF 527KB)
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.
