A robot retrieves the first melted fuel from Fukushima nuclear reactor

A remote-controlled robot has safely returned pinch a mini portion of melted substance it collected from wrong 1 of 3 damaged reactors astatine nan tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi atomic powerfulness works for nan first clip since nan 2011 meltdown

TOKYO -- A remote-controlled robot has safely returned pinch a mini portion of melted substance it collected from wrong 1 of 3 damaged reactors astatine nan tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi atomic powerfulness plant for nan first clip since nan 2011 meltdown.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which manages nan plant, said Saturday that nan extendable sportfishing rod-like robot successfully clipped a gravel arsenic large arsenic 5 millimeters (2 inches), nan size of a mini granola bit, from nan apical aboveground of a mound of molten substance debris that sits connected nan bottommost of nan No. 2 reactor’s superior containment vessel.

The “telesco” robot, pinch its frontal tongs still holding nan melted substance bit, returned to nan enclosed instrumentality for safe retention aft workers successful afloat hazmat cogwheel pulled it retired of nan containment alloy earlier Saturday.

The sample return marks the first clip nan melted substance is retrieved retired of nan containment vessel. But nan ngo is not complete until it's definite that nan sample's radioactivity is beneath a group modular and safely placed into a container.

If nan radioactivity exceeds nan limit, nan robot must spell backmost wrong nan reactor to find different piece. TEPCO officials said they expect nan portion is mini capable to meet nan requirement.

The ngo initially started successful August for what was expected to beryllium a two-week information travel but had been suspended doubly owed to mishaps.

First 1 was the procedural mistake astatine nan opening that held up nan activity for astir 3 weeks, past nan robot’s two cameras designed to transmit views of nan target areas for its operators successful nan distant power room failed. The camera problem required nan robot to beryllium pulled retired each nan measurement for replacement earlier nan ngo resumed Monday.

Fukushima Daiichi mislaid its cardinal cooling systems during nan 2011 earthquake and tsunami, causing meltdowns successful its 3 reactors. An estimated 880 tons of fatally radioactive molten substance remains successful them, and TEPCO has carried retired a number of robotic probes to fig retired really to decommission nan plant.

Telesco connected Wednesday successfully clipped a portion presumably measuring little than 3 grams (0.1 ounce) from nan planned area correct underneath nan Unit 2 reactor core, from which ample amounts of melted substance fell during nan meltdown 13 years ago, TEPCO said.

Plant main Akira Ono said only nan mini spec tin supply cardinal information to scheme decommissioning strategy, create basal exertion and robots and retroactively study really nan mishap had developed.

The authorities and TEPCO person group a 30-to-40-year target for nan cleanup, which experts opportunity is overly optimistic and should beryllium updated.

No circumstantial plans for nan afloat removal of nan substance debris aliases its last disposal person been decided.