Japan to release treated Fukushima water into ocean

The Japanese government has today decided to release a massive amount of treated but still radioactive water from the melted-down Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, hoping for a breakthrough in the plant's stammering decommissioning work.

Premier Yoshihide Suga's cabinet of ministers today approved a plan to dump the water currently stored in tanks into the ocean, after diluting it below levels required by national guidelines and the World Health Organization to ensure its safe release. It will also seek support from the IEA for the process. The Japanese government plans to strengthen monitoring of seawater quality and make every effort to prevent damage to local Fukushima industries.

"We have concluded [that] the release at sea is the only realistic solution," Suga said.

More than 1.2mn t of treated water is currently being stored in tanks at the plant site and contains traces of tritium. The radioactive water release will likely start within two years after operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) obtains approval from the country's nuclear watchdog the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) for its facility needed for the operation. Tepco earlier said it would run out of storage space for the water by late 2022.

A panel of experts last year recommended that the government release the water into the ocean following nearly eight years of discussions. The government has also continued hearings and discussions with the local fishing sector, which is still opposed to the water release on expectations that other countries may then toughen restrictions on imports of fishery products from Fukushima and its nearby areas. The tritium-tainted water is expected to be gradually released into the ocean over some decades until Fukushima Daiichi's 30-40-year decommissioning work ends.

The government said it will have Tepco compensate for any damage to local industries, adding to its ¥16 trillion ($145bn) clean-up and compensation payments following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster.

Tokyo's decision comes more than 10 years after the Fukushima accident, as it aims to get the plant's decommissioning work back on a smooth track and regain public trust. The government is still coping with public opposition to restoring nuclear power, which is carbon-free, amid its 2050 decarbonisation goal. Nuclear accounted for just 6pc of Japan's power generation during the April 2019-March 2020 fiscal year, compared with a targeted 20-22pc for 2030.

Tepco recently drew renewed criticism over a safety breach at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. This has further displeased the government, which owns a majority share in Tepco, and the NRA, clouding the complex's restart outlook.

The 8,212MW Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is Tepco's sole, and the world's biggest, nuclear power plant. It is key to consolidating the firm's financial position to fulfil the Fukushima clean-up and compensation payments.

By Rieko Suda