Japan begins removing nuclear fuel from Fukushima reactor

Japan on Tuesday began removing nuclear fuel from its massive earthquake- and tsunami-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan, according to local media reports.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) has started removing nuclear fuel from the spent fuel pool of the No. 2 reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, marking a significant step in the long-term decommissioning of the site devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Jiji Press reported.

The operation involves the removal of fuel assemblies stored in the reactor's spent fuel pool, where 587 highly radioactive spent fuel assemblies and 28 unused assemblies remain.

TEPCO said it is removing the unused fuel first because it poses a lower risk in the event of an accident.

The utility aims to complete the removal of all fuel assemblies from the No. 2 reactor by fiscal year 2028.

Radiation levels inside the reactor building remain high more than 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, when reactor fuel melted down following a massive earthquake and tsunami.

Radiation on the fifth floor, where the fuel pool is located, reaches up to 5 millisieverts per hour, limiting the amount of time workers can spend in the area.

To reduce risks, a crane for removing fuel assemblies is remotely controlled, and the assemblies are placed one by one in a transport container called a cask inside the pool.

The cask will be lifted out of the pool and then lowered onto a trailer from a platform installed next to the building.