The Ice-Wall Go-eth - Japan Scraps Fukushima Freezing Plan

Submitted by Tyler Durden

 

On the heels of our previous aggregation of all things Fukushima, we were 'shocked' to see the flashing red headline tear across the Bloomberg exclaiming that "The Japanese government has decided to abandon the 'frozen water wall' solution to Fukushima's meltdown." When they unveiled this "Game of Thrones"-esque 1.4km long ice-wall a year ago, we snarkily wished them luck, questioning their sanity. Of course, we got a hint when 2 months ago, TEPCO admitted that "we have yet to form an ice plug because we can’t get the temperature low enough to freeze the water." For now, there is no Plan B - though we 'wasting' JPY 32 billion on so far is helping GDP.




As Bloomberg reports, the Japanese government is seeking other methods to block radioactive water in an underground trench at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant from leaking into the ocean because the freezing plan is not effective, Sankei newspaper reports, citing an unidentified government official.

Nuclear Regulation Authority will hold a meeting on Aug. 19 to discuss whether to continue using freezing method: Sankei

Trench-freezing project is using the same technology as a plan to completely surround reactor basements by freezing soil into underground ice wall: Sankei

Plant operator Tokyo Electric is investigating other methods to block contaminated water in trench, spokeswoman Mayumi Yoshida says by phone

Call to Japan’s Trade Ministry by Bloomberg News wasn’t immediately returned