19 Apr (NucNet): An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team has begun a review of Japan’s efforts to decommission the four damaged reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The team, which was invited to carry out the review by Japan, is scheduled to complete its mission on 22 April 2013, the IAEA said.
The review of the decommissioning of units 1 to 4 at the plant follows the March 2011 nuclear accident caused by an earthquake and tsunami.
The review is expected to be the first of a two-mission programme to provide IAEA support for Japan’s decommissioning of the damaged reactors.
Units 1 to 4 at the six-unit plant will be permanently decommissioned, a task that operator Tokyo Electric Power Company has said could take up to 50 years.
Tepco’s decommissioning roadmap for the units is in three phases with the final phase taking up to 40 years. However, this phase might not begin for another 10 years, allowing time for the removal of spent fuel and other debris.
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