Early morning on a sunny day, TEPCO released some breath-taking, yet eerie drone footage of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the site where one of the most devastating nuclear disasters took place 13 years ago.
This was the first time that the public is able to see the extent of the damage to the plant, as the drones captured images from inside the main structural support, called the pedestal, of the reactor’s primary containment vessel. These images offer valuable insights into the condition of the plant, and might even pave the way for the eventual removal of the radioactive fuel that remains inside.
The unmanned aerial vehicles took 12 high-definition color images which show brown clumps of various shapes and sizes clinging onto different areas in the pedestal. Upon closer inspection, it was determined that some of these clumps are parts of the control rod drive mechanism, which is responsible for controlling the nuclear chain reaction, and other equipment attached to the core. However, without additional data, it is difficult to determine whether these dangling objects are melted nuclear fuel or equipment that was damaged during the meltdown.
The reason why the drones were not equipped with dosimeters, which measure radioactive levels, is because they were designed to be light and agile in order to navigate the confined spaces within the reactor.
With the help of these new images, TEPCO officials hope to gain more understanding about the location and condition of the melted nuclear fuel, as well as develop suitable technologies and robots to extract it. However, the limitations of the drone cameras, such as their inability to see the bottom of the reactor core due to the darkness of the containment vessel, suggest that this will be a challenging task.
According to TEPCO, around 880 tons of highly radioactive melted nuclear fuel still remain inside the three reactors that were affected by the disaster. This poses a major threat to the environment and public health, and therefore, it is crucial to find a way to remove the fuel and decommission the plant. However, the 30-40-year target set by the government and TEPCO for the cleanup process has been met with criticism, as several technical hurdles and lack of data have caused delays.
The March 11, 2011 disaster, which was triggered by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami, was one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents. The earthquake caused the Earth to shift off its axis and generated a massive tsunami that swept over Japan’s main island of Honshu.
The waves easily overcame the coastal defenses and flooded the Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing it to melt down and release large amounts of radiation into the environment. This resulted in the evacuation of more than 150,000 people from the surrounding area, with a majority of them still unable to return to their homes even after 13 years.
The authorities in Japan estimate that it will take up to 40 years to decontaminate the area surrounding the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The disaster was classified as a Level Seven event by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the highest classification for a nuclear accident, and the first since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
The Fukushima disaster serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of nuclear power when not properly managed and highlights the need for stricter safety regulations and precautions in the industry.
