TEPCO to begin building cover over Fukushima reactor

subscribe

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said Tuesday it will begin in earnest on Wednesday work to install a giant covering over the plant's No. 1 reactor, with plans to complete it by the end of next month.

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.

Related News

solar panels

Solar power growth, jobs decline during pandemic

LOS ANGELES - Job losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have wiped out the past five years of workforce growth in the solar energy field, according to a new industry analysis.

The expected June 2020 solar workforce of 188,000 people across the United States is 114,000 below the pre-pandemic forecast of 302,000 workers, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, which said in a statement Monday that the solar industry is now losing jobs at a faster rate than the U.S. economy.

In Massachusetts, the loss of 4,284 solar jobs represents a 52 percent decline from previous projections, according to the association’s…

READ MORE
Ukraine Leans on Imports to Keep the Lights On

Ukraine Leans on Imports to Keep the Lights On

READ MORE

aps logo

APS asks customers to conserve energy after recent blackouts in California

READ MORE

clock

Renewable growth drives common goals for electricity networks across the globe

READ MORE

Hundreds of Canadian power crews are heading to Florida

Canadian power crews head to Irma-hit Florida to help restore service

READ MORE