Photo/Illutration The No. 2 reactor of Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in January 2023 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Once again, Tokyo Electric Power Co. has been forced to halt its project to collect melted nuclear fuel debris at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

On Sept. 17, TEPCO could not confirm camera images of equipment being used to remove the debris from the No. 2 reactor of the plant, bringing a stop to the project, the utility said.

TEPCO had planned to pick up melted fuel debris from the bottom of the reactor’s containment vessel that day.

The cause of the problem is under investigation, and there are no prospects of soon resuming the fuel-collecting operation, TEPCO said.

The company had earlier planned to start the fuel-removal work on Aug. 22. But the project was suspended after it was discovered that equipment for the operation had been installed in an incorrect order.

The work resumed on Sept. 10 after TEPCO took measures to prevent a recurrence.

After the fuel-removal device was pushed inside the reactor containment vessel, TEPCO checked the operation of the camera on the tip of the device. It was working on Sept. 13.

Workers had been checking the equipment from the morning of Sept. 17.

But a glitch occurred in the remote control room, about 400 meters away from the site, and the camera images could not be checked, the utility said.

Because of this, workers were unable to pick up the fuel debris.

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