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Page added on August 15, 2014
The Ice-Wall Go-eth – Japan Scraps Fukushima Freezing Plan
On the heels of our previous aggregation of all things Fukushima, we were ‘shocked’ to see the flashing red headline tear across the Bloomberg exclaiming that “The Japanese government has decided to abandon the ‘frozen water wall’ solution to Fukushima’s meltdown.” When they unveiled this “Game of Thrones”-esque 1.4km long ice-wall a year ago, we snarkily wished them luck, questioning their sanity. Of course, we got a hint when 2 months ago, TEPCO admitted that “we have yet to form an ice plug because we can’t get the temperature low enough to freeze the water.” For now, there is no Plan B – though we ‘wasting’ JPY 32 billion on so far is helping GDP.
As Bloomberg reports, the Japanese government is seeking other methods to block radioactive water in an underground trench at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant from leaking into the ocean because the freezing plan is not effective, Sankei newspaper reports, citing an unidentified government official.
Nuclear Regulation Authority will hold a meeting on Aug. 19 to discuss whether to continue using freezing method: Sankei
Trench-freezing project is using the same technology as a plan to completely surround reactor basements by freezing soil into underground ice wall: Sankei
Plant operator Tokyo Electric is investigating other methods to block contaminated water in trench, spokeswoman Mayumi Yoshida says by phone
Call to Japan’s Trade Ministry by Bloomberg News wasn’t immediately returned
Via TEPCO (Google Translate)
…the problem that does not freeze “wall of ice” even after more than three months, and see the effect on dry ice or ice you are introduced from the end of July because it is not, the 13th, it was found that the government consider giving up of “wall of ice”, and began to explore the method of another. According to government officials, review meetings by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was held on the 19th, and that decide the propriety of the continuation of the freezing method.
In order to stem the contaminated water flowing into the trench of the sea from the side of Unit 2 turbine building, wall of ice, construction method are arranged cement bags to the junction, and to freeze the surrounding water is passed through a frozen pipe. Began to flow the refrigerant to freeze tube from the end of April, but not freezing water temperature is high, and began the introduction of ice from July 30. ?
However, there is no effect even when 15 tons placed for 1 day Ice was increased to 27 tons up to 7 Nov., but it did not freeze. ?Ice was put into up to 12 days amounting to a total of about 250 tons. Voted one tons in the 7th and dry ice, but it postponed the closing clogged the small pipe, was resumed on the 12th. ?That wall of ice does not freeze, it has been pointed out from the experts also review meeting regulatory committee.
* * *
Perhaps… excavate the entire Fukushima region, build a giant spaceship, load Fukushima region onto spaceship, fly Fukushima towards sun…
Kuroda, we’re gonna need some more money…
10 Comments on "The Ice-Wall Go-eth – Japan Scraps Fukushima Freezing Plan"
pctech on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 7:53 am
Fukushima region will likely be abandoned for at least a century. Bad news for everyone,big contamination of Pacific ocean likely coming.
hculliton on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 8:07 am
Call me a cynic, but I would not be surprised if the radiation readings in the metro Tokyo area were found to be greatly low-balled. Pctech, I think you’re optimistic. The whole northern half of the Japanese archipelago is at risk of becoming uninhabitable.
ghung on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 8:07 am
I always considered the freeze wall a really stupid idea, since it would do nothing to stop the production/accumulation of contaminated water. Back in the TOD days I proposed that that money be spent building a retaining lagoon just off shore, install a pipeline to the exceptionally deep Japan Trench, a few hundred kilometers off of Fukushima, and start pumping. Beats the crap out of contaminating the ground water and coastline.
JuanP on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 8:43 am
Ghung, not a bad idea. I like the Japanese culture and people, and I admit I was surprised to observe the incredible ineptitude of TEPCO and the Japanese government since the Fukushima plant got hit by that Tsunami. They have made many obvious mistakes that I would not have made in spite of being completely ignorant about nuclear energy and radiation.this ice wall idea was stupid from the start, I LOL when I first read about it, it was so obviously an inadequate solution to the problem of the leaking radioactive water, it was a very sick joke, and I had to laugh, not to cry over their stupidity and arrogance. It has been amazing to watch TEPCO’s and the Japanese government’s inefficacy in their response to this disaster. The situation in Fukushima keeps deteriorating and is completely out of human control.
paulo1 on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 8:57 am
re: “it was found that the government consider giving up of “wall of ice”,
High tech is never the answer for this crap. It is what made the mess in the first place. Concrete and plastic layers, cover the whole damn site with more concrete and abandon after apologizing to the world.
Personally, I think their economy is so bad and they are so over extended they will simply walk away and let it spew. Maybe I am cynical living on the west coast NA, but seriously 3 reactors melting down? 3?
paulo
Kenz300 on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 9:08 am
The nuclear industry is doing all they can to try to continue business as usual……….
Fukishima and Chernobyl have exposed the true cost of nuclear energy and the cost and environmental damage is too high.
——————-
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penury on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 10:05 am
Apparently most people and governments consider this to be a problem. They want to have a solution devised and everything will go back to “normal”/ This is not a problem this is a predicament, there are no known solutions and will not be in the foreseeable future. If the truth were told the people would react badly. If humanity survives for another twenty years the cumulative toll may well be unimaginable. Genetic changes are not always rapid but radiation will cause many of them to appear. Read some of the studies on the effect of DU on children after the ME wars.
Norm on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 10:48 am
Wall of Ice, dumb idea. I already said how to fix. One fusion nuclear bomb, put in between building 3 and 4. Light fuse and get away. Use only under adult supervision. When the smoke clears, no more messy nuclear disaster to deal with, just a nice blue lagoon for your speedboat.
Bob Owens on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 1:01 pm
Now that the ice wall is dead they can get back to doing what they are able to do and what works: Unload the fuel in the spent fuel pools, put the fuel in casks and store it in a safe place. This plan would defuse the biggest problem they have that they can actually solve. With that job done, they could then turn to the entombing the reactors for 1000 years.
Kenz300 on Fri, 15th Aug 2014 6:39 pm
Nuclear energy — a disaster waiting to happen
The sooner we transition to safer, cleaner and cheaper alternative energy sources the better…….
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