Nuclear experts cool down pool temperature at Fukushima reactor

Experts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have reportedly managed to decrease the temperature of the pool at its reactor No 3, stopping the evaporation of radioactive water.

According to information provided by Tokyo Electric Power Cooperation (TEPCO), the temperature has been decreased to 40°C, Focus News quoted a report by the ITAR-TASS news agency, as saying.

Reactors at the plant suffered a heavy setback following the March 11 earthquake-cum-tsunami, releasing radiation in the atmosphere and seawater that risked causing severe health hazards to people living near the plant.

The Japanese government had said in June that nuclear fuel in three of the plant had melted through the base of the pressure vessels and got accumulated in the outer containment vessels.

According to the report, the pressure vessel of the No 1 reactor had suffered damage just five hours after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, contrary to TEPCO’s earlier estimation that it was damaged 15 hours later.

Melt-downs of the fuel in the No 2 and No 3 reactors followed over the following days with the molten fuel collecting at the bottom of the pressure vessels before burning through and into the external steel containment vessels.