Information Portal for the Research and Development
for the Fukushima Daiichi Decommissioning

From here, the content page starts. 日本語

Decontamination/reduction of radiation dose and reduction of radiation exposure

Reducing the exposure of workers is a very important issue as they perform decontamination tasks within the power plant site and within the reactor buildings, so we are working to shield and remove sources of radiation, in addition to decontaminating the site, buildings and structures.

Dose rates within the power plant site have been greatly reduced by removal of contaminated debris and soil, decontamination and dose rate reduction of facings, etc., so that the work environment for workers has been improved.

On the other hand, dose rates within the reactor buildings remain high, and access for survey work on the inside is limited, so we are studying measures to decontaminate and reduce dose rates for specific work areas and access routes, and working to develop and utilize equipment and machines that utilize remote technology.

Also, in order to prevent expansion of contamination of the ocean, we are studying such things as construction of impermeable walls, setting up fibrous adsorbent purification equipment, and lining and purification systems within the harbor.

　Furthermore, we are studying development of unmanned radiation monitoring technology to evaluate the environmental impact, and optimization of protective equipment to reduce exposure as part of work environment improvement.

R&D efforts

Ongoing projects

Development of Technologies for Work Environmental Improvement in Reactor Building (Project of Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Management)

Summary

Towards the scaling up retrieval of fuel debris and internal structure, technology development related to work environmental improvement shall be implemented as it is necessary for the safe and efficient work inside the R/B, where there still leaves the place where the damage status caused by the accident is unknown and the dose rate is still high.

Action

• Development for Highly Performance of Exposure Reduction Technologies by Digitalization of Environment and Radioactive Source Distribution
• Development of Systems for Remote Monitoring and Removal Operation for Removal of PCV Penetration Pipes etc.

Implementation plan

Source:FY 2024 Research and Development Plan for Decommissoning
　　　　(METI, Secretariat of the Team for Countermeasures for Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Treatment (February 29, 2024)) (PDF page 3-4)

Results & performance by fiscal year

• FY 2023

• Status of progress at the end of February 2023 (METI, Secretariat of the Team for Countermeasures for Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Treatment (February 29, 2024)) (PDF page 28)

• FY 2022

• Status of progress at the end of February 2023 (METI, Secretariat of the Team for Countermeasures for Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Treatment (February 22, 2023)) (PDF page 19)

• FY 2021

• Status of progress at the end of January 2022 (METI, Secretariat of the Team for Countermeasures for Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Treatment (January 27, 2022)) (PDF page 22)

Reducing dose rate within the site

• Development of remote decontamination equipment

Prevention of expansion of contamination of the ocean

Evaluation and monitoring of environmental impact

• Radiation monitoring using manned helicopter around the nuclear power station (JAEA) (PDF)

Study of optimization of protective equipment to reduce exposure (Work environment improvement )

• Development of powered shielded suits, industrial supports by naraha remote technology development center (JAEA) (PDF page 13)

Plant investigation, measurement data, and information

Dose rate reduction within the site

• Efforts to reduce the environmental dose rate (Updated September 10, 2024)
  (METI, Secretariat of the Team for Countermeasures for Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Treatment)

• Environmental dose rate reduction schedule (September 19, 2024) (PDF) Only Japanese siryou3-6
• Mid-to-long term implementation policies for dose rate reduction within the site (January 2014) (TEPCO) (PDF)
• Implementation status of dose rate reduction countermeasures within Fukushima Daiichi NPS site (June 2014) (TEPCO) (PDF)
• Measurement status from monitoring posts within Fukushima Daiichi NPS buildings (TEPCO)
• Results of analysis of radioactive materials in the Fukushima Daiichi NPS vicinity (TEPCO)
• Radioactive material monitoring data information release site (JAEA)
• Survey map of Fukushima Daiichi NPS

• Inside reactor buildings, etc. (TEPCO)

Evaluation and monitoring of environmental impact

• Radiation monitoring using manned helicopter

• Radiation monitoring using manned helicopter around the nuclear power station (JAEA) (PDF)

• Monitoring of radioactive cesium concentration in river water

• The Decrease in cesium concentration in river water continues (JAEA) (PDF)

• Detection of Alpha Ray Radiating Nuclide

• Detection of Alpha Ray Radiating Nuclide Derived from Nuclear Fuel inside the Reactor Building of Fukushima Daiichi NPS (JAEA) (PDF) new

• 3D Visualization of Distribution of Radioactive Materials

• Rapidly from the sky, 3D visualization of distribution of radioactive materials in environment, "Development of drone system equipped with radiological visualization camera" (JAEA) (PDF)

• Collection of monitoring data

• Radioactivity monitoring information (Nuclear Regulation Authority)
• Radioactive material monitoring data information release site (JAEA)

Optimization of protective equipment to reduce exposure (Work environment improvement)