Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2014

Husqvarna, Toshiba technology allows remote control cleanup of interior

FUKUSHIMA, June 11, 2014-In a major milestone, decontamination work inside the Unit 2 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has begun, using a remote controlled robot to keep workers at a safe distance, TEPCO announced today.

Naohiro Masuda, leader of the Fukushima Daiichi D& D Engineering Company (FDEC) commented “Beginning active cleanup work on Unit 2’s interior walls represents another major milestone in the cleanup efforts at Fukushima Daiichi, and another example of our collaborating with other companies, inside and outside Japan, to use state-of-the art technology to advance the cleanup and keep workers safe.”

The robot was manufactured by the Swedish company Husqvarna and modified by Toshiba for use at Fukushima. It is being used to decontaminate Unit 2’s interior walls and equipment, in preparation for the full-scale decontamination effort. That effort will require further investigation inside the primary containment vessel, and other preparation, before the damaged nuclear fuel can be safety removed from the reactor.

The decontamination of Unit 2 had begun last November with a cleanup of its floor by a different robot called “Raccoon,” which was developed by the Japanese company ATOX. That robot snaked along the floor but could not climb walls.

Now, the Husqvarna/Toshiba robot will suction up radioactive dust from walls, cable trays, ducts and the surface of the control panels. The robot can reach as high as five meters, and houses 12 cameras to enable workers to guide it remotely. The robot is controlled from the shielded shed built nearby where radiation is low, a maximum 0.04mSv/h, well below the permissible limit of 3mSv per day, set for the work this time. The robot’s work in Unit 2 is expected to continue until mid-July.

For additional information, please go to http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2014/images/handouts_140606_09-e.pdf
Photos and materials of the decontamination conducted in November 2013 is seen at http://photo.tepco.co.jp/en/date/2013/201311-e/131127-03e.html

The radiation dose map inside the reactor buildings and the whole site may be obtained at http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/surveymap/index-e.html

About TEPCO
Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (TEPCO) is Japan's largest power company, supplying energy to the greater Kanto area, including Japan's two most populous cities, Tokyo and Yokohama. Its 35,000 employees are committed to providing safe, reliable power to its 28.8 million customers, diversifying energy resources to ensure sustainability, and contributing to economic growth while fully meeting its responsibilities after the Fukushima Daiichi accident.