Factbox: Status of quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plants in Japan
A quake-hit Japanese nuclear plant at which a reactor exploded has also lost the emergency cooling system at a second reactor, Japan's nuclear power safety agency said on Sunday.
A quake-hit Japanese nuclear plant at which a reactor exploded has also lost the emergency cooling system at a second reactor, Japan's nuclear power safety agency said on Sunday. Operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) began preparation work early on Sunday morning to release radioactive steam from the No.3 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant to lower pressure inside and avoid any serious damage to the containment vessel.On Saturday, an explosion blew off the roof and upper walls of the No.1 reactor building during an attempt to release pressure from the reactor after its cooling system was damaged. Butthe safety agency said the explosion did not affect the containment vessel. No immediate risk is seen of similar further explosions, chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano said on Saturday.To boost the cooling treatment, TEPCO began filling the damaged No.1 reactor with seawater and used boric acid to prevent it the reactor from reaching "criticality", or an uncontrolled nuclear reaction.Seven boiling water reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi plant and the neighbouring Fukushima Daini plant, both operated by TEPCO, were automatically shut soon after a powerful quake and tsunami on Friday that killed hundreds of residents along a lengthy stretch of Japan's northeastern coastline.The other three units had been under planned maintenance.Following is a list of the manufacturers and the current status of reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini plants, excluding those under planned maintenance when the quake struck. Generation capacity is shown in megawatts.Plant name Unit MW Mfr Status Fukushima-Daiichi 1 460 GE keeps filling with sea water2 784 GE, Toshiba preparing to release inner pressure 3 784 Toshiba starts actual work on Sunday morning to release inner pressure Fukushima-Daini 1 1,100 Toshiba ready for releasing inner pressure2 1,100 Hitachi ready for releasing inner pressure3 1,100 Toshiba has been safely cooled4 1,100 Hitachi ready for releasing inner pressureSource: Tokyo Electric Power as of 2230 GMT on Saturday