According to local broadcaster NHK, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has announced the completion of the operation to inject seawater into the subsea tunnel used for the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. The process involved the introduction of around 6,000 tons of seawater from both the land and sea sides, which was successfully concluded on the morning of the 6th.
With the retrieval of the excavation equipment used for the tunnel construction, the tunnel works will now be considered complete. TEPCO had previously completed the excavation of the subsea tunnel, which spans approximately 1,030 meters, on April 25th.
The contaminated water will be discharged into the sea through this subsea tunnel. TEPCO aims to finalize all necessary construction work for the seawater discharge by the end of this month, including the completion of certain tank-related tasks that precede sending the contaminated water into the subsea tunnel.
The Japanese government plans to begin the discharge of the contaminated water into the ocean starting from this summer. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection team concluded its comprehensive verification process during their visit to Japan last week. The team is expected to release its final report by mid-June before Japan proceeds with the discharge of the contaminated water.
