News from the '' Ice Wall '' in Fukushima:
The Nippon Nuclear Regulatory Agency has given its green light for the use of the ice wall.
The start of the cooling will begin soon. Cooling that will take 3 months for the first phase.
Fukushima's underground ice wall
March 30, 2016
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on Wednesday approved the use of an underground "wall of ice" at the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant to help contain spills of contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean.
After several delays, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), on Thursday will be able to begin the process of freezing the ground around the buildings that are the most affected by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.
"This operation is a challenge, and it is necessary to carry it out with extreme care, and with all necessary details (for follow-up)," said the regulator's president Shunichi Tanaka at the end of a meeting held on Wednesday, NHK reported .
NRA had been researched in this study, originally raised in 2013, to certify that Tepco, which has a long history of negligence, can safely manage radioactive water in facilities.
Meanwhile, more than 1,500 pipes have been inserted into the earth at a depth of 30 meters (98 feet) around the oven units, for the procedure.
Through pipes thesis has saline solution at temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius will be injected to freeze the ground in touch with the frozen pipes and create a barrier to prevent prevention groundwater from seeping into the buildings and mix with polluted refrigerant.
The goal is to reduce the amount of radioactive water that accumulates in the basements of the buildings and prevents its leakage in the Pacific Ocean.
Currently between 150 and 200 tons of water in the structures daily and this system is expected to reduce the amount of 50 tons at full capacity.
The process of creating the wall will be completed in three phases, the first of which will take place, and its effects will be felt within 40 days approximately.
http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 628_1.htmland the 4 Avril a first refrigeration section has been activated:
One portion of the ice wall was activated on Thursday, with additional parts set to be activated over the next few months. TEPCO says this is a precautionary measure to make sure they do not make any adjustments.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/envi ... cle/461995It cost 312 $ millions!