Jeremy L. Dillon
RW Monitor
10/10/2014
The Mitsubishi Research Institute, the Japanese organization responsible for the awarding of contracts for the conceptual study and feasibility study for fuel debris removal the Fukushima Daii-chi Power Station, announced late last week it had awarded subsidies to 11 organizations under three subject areas to better study cleanup techniques. The fuel debris removal at Fukushima has been described as one of the most difficult aspects of the project, and MRI, along with the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning, issued a Request for Proposal earlier this year for new ways to approach the challenge. The three project areas with their operating entities include:
- Conceptual Study of Innovative Approach for Fuel Debris Retrieval— IHI Corporation; AREVA ATOX D&D SOLUTIONS CO., LTD; Cavendish Nuclear Limited, BGE Company, Shimizu Corporation; and Radwaste and Decommissioning Center, Kimura Chemical Plants Co., Ltd., Japan Clean Environment Promotion Organization
- Feasibility Study of Visual and Measurement Technology for Innovative Approach—QI Inc.; Createc Technologies Limited, Oliver Crispin Robotics Limited; Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.; and Fujikura Ltd.
- Feasibility Study of Fuel Debris Cutting and Dust Collection for Innovative Approach—IHI Corporation; NET Technologies Nuclear Decommissioning OTND; and Taisei Corporation
MRI sees the subsidies as the next step in developing the correct methodology and technology for the cleanup. “In this project, based on the ‘Grant Policy for Subsidy for the Project of Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Management,’ we are assisting activities in support of the development of technologies that will be useful in decommissioning and contaminated water management,” MRI said. “Through this, we aim to improve the level of science and technology and to advance decommissioning and contaminated water management smoothly in Japan.” Any work on the fuel debris removal needs to wait until the spent fuel pools in Reactors 1-3 are drained. The Tokyo Electric Power Company expects to have that portion completed by 2020.
