TEPCO to begin building cover over Fukushima reactor
The covering, a tent-like structure made of steel frames and air-tight polyester sheets, is meant to prevent radioactive materials from spreading from the crippled reactor and stop rainwater from entering the reactor building, said Tokyo Electric Power Co.
When completed, the covering will be between 42 and 47 meters long and about 54 meters high. About 60 components are being brought to the seaside plant via the Pacific.
On Wednesday, a steel structure about 6.9 meters high that weighs about 30 tons is expected to be pulled up by a crane and installed at the southeast corner of the No. 1 reactor building.
The building housing the No. 1 reactor and those housing the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the plant were badly damaged due to explosions after tsunami caused by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the plant on March 11.
Once the installation is completed at the reactor, Tokyo Electric will consider installing similar coverings for the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors, the operator said.
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Coronavirus impacts dismantling of Germany's Philippsburg nuclear plant
BERLIN - German energy company EnBW said the coronavirus outbreak has impacted plans to dismantle its Philippsburg nuclear power plant in Baden-Wurttemberg, southwest Germany.
The controlled detonation of Phillipsburg's cooling towers will now take place in mid-May at the earliest.
However, EnBW said the exact demolition date depends on many factors - including the further development in the coronavirus pandemic.
Philippsburg 2, a 1402MWe pressurised water reactor unit permanently shut down on 31 December 2019.
At the end of 2019, the Ministry of the Environment gave basic approval for decommissioning and dismantling of unit 2 of the Philippsburg nuclear power plant, inluding explosive demolition…
