Japan to Build Dedicated Radioactive Liquid Analysis Facility at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) reportedly plans to build a new facility dedicated to the analysis of radioactive liquids, including contaminated water (referred to as "treated water" by the Japanese government), at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Fukushima nuclear power plant contaminated water storage tank. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Kyodo News on April 11, this facility will be responsible for analyzing the radioactive risk of liquids, primarily focusing on contaminated water and the radioactive materials it contains, prior to ocean discharge. The target for completion is November next year.

Solid waste generated during the decommissioning process of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which is scheduled for completion in 2051, will continue to be analyzed by existing facilities, with plans to further enhance their analytical capacity.

The new facility dedicated to liquids will be a reinforced concrete building with a floor area of approximately 900 square meters. It will be capable of processing up to 30 liters of contaminated water per analysis and is expected to conduct 12 analyses annually.

Previously, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced plans to discharge a total of 62,400 tons of contaminated water in eight rounds during the 2026 fiscal year (April 2026 to March 2027).

Separately, another facility is under construction at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to analyze the radioactivity of nuclear fuel debris that melted during the explosion. This facility aims for completion in April 2028.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.