The First Cask from Reactor 4 Spent Fuel Pool Was Safely Lowered, Transported to the Common Pool

NHK, who apparently had a live footage of the scene at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant according to people who were watching TV, says it took the truck carrying the cask 10 minutes to go from the Reactor 4 building to the Common Pool which is 100 meters away.

From NHK (11/21/2013; part):

東京電力福島第一原子力発電所４号機の使用済み燃料プールから取り出された２２体の核燃料を入れた最初の輸送用の容器が、２１日午後１時すぎ、４号機の建屋から出され、１００メートルほど離れた敷地内の保管用の施設に運ばれました。

At 1PM on November 21, 2013, the first container to transport 22 nuclear fuels taken from the Spent Fuel Pool of Reactor 4 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant was removed from the reactor building, and transported to the storage facility 100 meters away inside the plant compound.

...２１日は未使用の新しい燃料２２体を入れたキャスクと呼ばれる輸送用の容器が午後１時すぎにトレーラーで４号機の建屋から出され、１０分余りかけて共用プールという別の施設に運ばれました。

On November 21, the container, called "cask", that has 22 unused, new fuel assemblies was taken out of the Reactor 4 building on a trailer [trailer truck, or rig], and transferred to the facility called the Common Pool in 10 minutes.

トレーラーは白い乗用車に先導され、複数の作業員が見守るなか、人が歩くくらいのゆっくりとしたスピードで進み、共用プールには、バックしながらキャスクを乗せた荷台のほうから入りました。

The trailer was led by a white car, and proceeded at a slow, walking speed while workers looked on. It backed into the Common Pool.

今月１８日から始まった燃料の取り出し作業で、４号機の建屋から燃料を入れた容器が運び出されるのは初めてです。東京電力は、共用プールはおととしの東日本大震災のあとも震災と同程度の地震に耐えられると評価され、事故による損傷を受けた建屋の使用済み燃料プールよりもより安全に燃料を保管することができるとしています。

This was the first time the container with fuel assemblies was transported out of the Reactor 4 building since the start of the fuel removal work on November 18. According to TEPCO, the Common Pool was evaluated to be able to withstand the earthquake of the same level as the March 11, 2011 earthquake, and fuel assemblies would be more securely stored there than in the Spent Fuel Pool located in the building damaged by the accident.

No video or photos yet at TEPCO's Photos and Videos Library.

Tweet