Russia explores the 42-year-sunken nuclear sub    K-27 in the Kara Sea



By Boyko Nikolov On Sep 23, 2024

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations has revealed that its diving specialists are currently inspecting the K-27 nuclear submarine, which sank in the Kara Sea over four decades ago. The announcement came through its official Telegram channel, stating that the submarine, found in Stepovoy Bay, is classified as a radiation-hazardous facility. The K-27, a notorious relic from the era of the Soviet Union, has long been a concern due to the radiation threat it poses to the surrounding environment.

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The Ministry highlighted that the divers will dedicate the next month to evaluating the condition of the K-27, braving the extreme cold both in the air and water of the region. These inspections are part of Russia’s broader initiative to monitor and mitigate potential threats from its aging fleet of nuclear-powered vessels.

Meanwhile, in Kaliningrad, emergency teams have been scrutinizing the hull of a World War II shipwreck near the Pioneer Resort. This particular wreck has also been deemed a potential safety risk due to its closeness to a popular recreational spot. Although no explosives were found, the successful removal of other hazardous elements underscored the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to secure underwater wrecks across Russia.

Photo credit: Russian URRGS

In the past five years, the Ministry’s diving units have removed nearly 126,000 explosive objects from various underwater locations, highlighting the enduring danger associated with submerged military vessels.

The K-27 stands out in naval history for its groundbreaking role. Launched in 1963, it was a unique Soviet experiment designed to test new nuclear technology, making it the sole submarine of the Project 645 class. Modeled on the November-class [Project 627 Kit], it featured two VT-1 lead-bismuth liquid-metal-cooled reactors—smaller and more powerful than the more common pressurized water reactors but notoriously complex to operate.

Known as the “Zolotaya Rybka” [Little Golden Fish] for its high costs and crew luxuries, the K-27 represented the pinnacle of Soviet naval technology. Its elite crew enjoyed rare perks for the time, such as citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, which were uncommon for most Soviet citizens.

Photo credit: Reddit

The submarine was also famous for its safety features, with reactors explicitly designed to prevent the malfunctions seen in other Soviet submarines. To prove this, Captain Pavel Leonov famously sat atop one of the reactors, reassuring the crew, who were otherwise reluctant to enter the reactor compartment.

Despite its innovative design, the K-27 struggled with radiation issues from the beginning. Crew members initially detected radioactive particles on board, although these early warnings were largely disregarded.

The defining moment in the K-27’s operational saga occurred on May 24, 1968, when a significant reactor malfunction changed everything. The power output of the VT-1 reactor suddenly plunged from 87% to a mere 7%, and an alarming surge of gamma radiation flooded the reactor compartment.


Vyacheslav Mazurenko, a 22-year-old warrant officer at the time, later recalled the chilling instant they realized the gravity of their predicament: “We had a radiation detector, but it was turned off. When our radiation supervisor switched it on, it went off the scale.”



Tragically, the crew did not comprehend the full extent of the reactor failure until it was too late. By the time they managed to surface the submarine and return to their base at Gremikha on Russia’s Kola Peninsula, all 144 crew members had been exposed to radiation. Sadly, nine of them succumbed to radiation poisoning in the months that followed. The K-27 was permanently taken out of active service in June 1968 and eventually decommissioned in 1979.

In 1982, the K-27 was towed to the Arctic Novaya Zemlya nuclear testing range and deliberately sunk in the Kara Sea at a depth of 33 meters [108 feet]. Soviet authorities filled the submarine with asphalt to seal its fuel-filled reactors and drilled a hole in its aft ballast tank to ensure it would remain submerged.


However, this fix was always intended to be a stopgap measure. Experts caution that the sealant around the reactors is slated to last only until 2032. After this period, there’s a genuine concern about potential radiation leakage. Even more alarming is the possibility that the highly enriched uranium in the K-27’s reactors could spark an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction under certain conditions, posing a significant threat to the Arctic environment.

In recent years, Moscow has voiced growing concerns about the environmental hazards posed by the K-27 and other submerged Soviet submarines, such as the K-159. Combined, these vessels contain approximately one million curies of radiation. To put that into perspective, it’s about a quarter of the radiation released in the first month of the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Efforts to retrieve the K-27 and the K-159 are part of a wider plan aimed at reclaiming nuclear waste dumped in the Barents and Kara Seas during the Soviet era.

Raising the K-27 is no simple task. It’s a complex and expensive endeavor, with costs expected to exceed 300 million euros [$326 million]. European entities like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development [EBRD] and Norway had initially shown interest in supporting these projects. However, geopolitical tensions—further strained by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—have led international partners to withdraw from the initiative. Consequently, the challenge now falls squarely on Moscow’s shoulders.


Despite its efforts, Russia currently lacks the necessary technology to safely recover the K-27. Back in 2001, a Dutch vessel achieved the recovery of the Kursk submarine. However, given current international relations, the Netherlands or other European nations are unlikely to assist Russia with the K-27 operation.



The deteriorating condition of the K-27 submarine presents a significant threat to the fragile Arctic ecosystem. With continued corrosion, the risks of radiation leaks will escalate. Thomas Nilsen, editor of the Independent Barents Observer, has warned, “Radiation leakages will come sooner or later if we just leave the K-27 there. The sub has already been on the seafloor for 30 years, and it was rusty even before it was sunk.”

In 2012, experts on radioactive contamination highlighted the critical need for careful handling of the K-27’s reactors during any recovery efforts. Excessive disturbance of the reactors could trigger an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction, leading to severe radioactive contamination in the Arctic waters.

Photo credit: Facebook

Russia’s ambitions to address its nuclear legacy in the Arctic are met with significant challenges. Without international cooperation, the likelihood of effectively recovering the K-27 and other nuclear waste remains low. The urgent environmental and safety concerns surrounding the K-27 underscore the pressing need for a global solution to nuclear waste recovery, ensuring the long-term protection of the Arctic and its unique ecosystem.



***

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GOOD NEWS

China-Japan accord on monitoring of Fukushima water releases

Friday, 20 September 2024

China looks set to start lifting its ban on the import of Japanese fishery products after reaching an agreement with Japan for the independent monitoring of the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant by China and other countries.

Workers take samples of the diluted water before the second discharge began (Image: Tepco)

At the Fukushima Daiichi site, contaminated water - in part used to cool melted nuclear fuel - is treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which removes most of the radioactive contamination, with the exception of tritium. This treated water is currently stored in tanks on site.

Japan announced in April 2021 it planned to discharge ALPS-treated water into the sea over a period of about 30 years. It started to discharge the water on 24 August last year and has so far completed the release of eight batches, a total of 62,400 cubic metres of water.

"As one of the most important stakeholders, China is firmly opposed to this irresponsible move," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "At the same time, China has urged Japan to seriously address concerns in and outside Japan, to earnestly fulfill its obligations, to give full cooperation in the establishment of an independent and effective long-term international monitoring arrangement in which stakeholders can participate substantively, and to accept independent sampling and monitoring by China."

Japan and China have now reached an agreement that allows stakeholders, including China, to conduct independent sampling, monitoring and inter-laboratory comparisons at key stages of the discharge process, which is currently being monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"Taking into account the interests of all stakeholder countries, including China, Japan welcomes the expansion of long-term and international monitoring at key stages of the ocean release under the IAEA framework, and will ensure that all stakeholder countries, including China, effectively participate in this monitoring and that independent sampling and inter-laboratory comparisons are conducted by the participating countries," said Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"China states that it has taken temporary emergency precautions against aquatic products of Japanese origin according to relevant Chinese laws and regulations and WTO rules," the Chinese ministry said. "After China participates substantively in the long-term international monitoring within the IAEA framework and the independent sampling and other monitoring activities by participating countries are carried out, China will begin to adjust the relevant measures based on scientific evidence and gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products that meet the regulation requirements and standards."

The agreement was welcomed by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who said: "I wish to commend the government of Japan for its continued engagement with the IAEA, and the government of China for the constructive consultations held with the Agency in support of this bilateral process that comes to a positive conclusion today."

The agreement, Grossi said, "has built on our existing sampling and monitoring activities in compliance with the IAEA statutory functions". He said the IAEA will coordinate with Japan and other stakeholders, including China, to ensure that the additional measures are implemented appropriately under the framework of the IAEA, "maintaining the integrity of the process with full transparency to ensure that water discharge levels are, and will continue to be, in strict compliance and consistent with international safety standards".

Japan and China have agreed to "continue constructive dialogue from a scientific perspective, in a responsible manner towards the ecological environment and people's health, and to appropriately address concerns regarding the ocean release of ALPS-treated water."

IAEA experts stationed at the Fukushima Daiichi plant have taken samples from the batches of diluted water, after they were prepared for discharge. The IAEA's independent on-site analysis has confirmed that the tritium concentration in the diluted water that has so far been discharged is far below the operational limit of 1500 Bq/litre. The IAEA says it will have a presence on site for as long as the treated water is released.

China to ‘gradually resume’ seafood imports

 from Japan after Fukushima ban


By AFP
September 20, 2024

A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency with scientists from China, South Korea and Canada observe baskets of fish to be taken as samples at Hisanohama Port in Iwaki, Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, in October 2023 - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Eugene Hoshiko

China said Friday that it would “gradually resume” importing seafood from Japan after imposing a blanket ban in August last year over the release of water from the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant.

“China will begin to adjust the relevant measures based on scientific evidence and gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products that meet the regulation requirements and standards,” a foreign ministry statement said.

Chinese and Japanese officials recently conducted “multiple rounds of consultations” on the discharge of water from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, the ministry said.

It said Japan had committed to “fulfilling its obligations under international law, doing its utmost to avoid leaving (a) negative impact on human health and the environment, and conducting continuous evaluations of the impact on the marine environment and marine ecosystems”.

In 2011, three reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people.

Since then, plant operator TEPCO collected water contaminated as it cooled the wrecked reactors, along with groundwater and rain that has seeped in.


– Fierce backlash –


Japan in late August 2023 began discharging treated contaminated water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean in an operation it insists is safe, a view backed by the UN atomic agency.

The release, however, generated a fierce backlash from China, which branded it “selfish” and banned all Japanese seafood imports.

China’s foreign ministry said in its statement Friday that Tokyo welcomed the establishment of a “long-term international monitoring arrangement within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) framework covering key stages in the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water”.

“Both sides agree to continue to have constructive, science-based dialogue with a great sense of responsibility for the ecosystem, the environment, and human life and health,” it added.

Around the same time as the announcement, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tokyo had “informed the Chinese side of its readiness to carry out additional monitoring of the… treated water, while the Chinese side has decided to… steadily restore imports of Japanese fishery products that meet certain standards”.

Despite the gradual resumption of seafood imports, a spokeswoman for Beijing’s foreign ministry said China still “resolutely opposes” Japan’s discharge of water from Fukushima.

“First of all, China resolutely opposes the Japanese side’s arbitrary discharge (of contaminated water) into the sea,” spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference, adding: “This position has not changed.”

China imported over $500 million worth of seafood from Japan in 2022, according to customs data.

Robot begins removing Fukushima nuclear plant’s melted fuel

By Associated Press

In this photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, executives monitor staff on the ground using a robot to retrieve the first sample of melted fuel debris from inside one of three damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Sept. 10, 2024.

tokyo —

A long robot entered a damaged reactor at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant on Tuesday, beginning a two-week, high-stakes mission to retrieve for the first time a tiny amount of melted fuel debris from the bottom.

The robot's trip into the Unit 2 reactor is a crucial initial step for what comes next — a daunting, decades-long process to decommission the plant and deal with large amounts of highly radioactive melted fuel inside three reactors that were damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Specialists hope the robot will help them learn more about the status of the cores and the fuel debris.

Here is an explanation of how the robot works, its mission, significance and what lies ahead as the most challenging phase of the reactor cleanup begins.

What is the fuel debris?

Nuclear fuel in the reactor cores melted after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant's cooling systems to fail. The melted fuel dripped down from the cores and mixed with internal reactor materials such as zirconium, stainless steel, electrical cables, broken grates and concrete around the supporting structure and at the bottom of the primary containment vessels.

The reactor meltdowns caused the highly radioactive, lava-like material to spatter in all directions, greatly complicating the cleanup. The condition of the debris also differs in each reactor.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, or TEPCO, which manages the plant, says an estimated 880 tons of molten fuel debris remains in the three reactors, but some experts say the amount could be larger.

What is the robot's mission?

Workers will use five 1.5-meter-long pipes connected in sequence to maneuver the robot through an entry point in the Unit 2 reactor's primary containment vessel. The robot itself can extend about 6 meters inside the vessel. Once inside, it will be maneuvered remotely by operators at another building at the plant because of the fatally high radiation emitted by the melted debris.

The front of the robot, equipped with tongs, a light and a camera, will be lowered by a cable to a mound of melted fuel debris. It will then snip off and collect a bit of the debris — less than 3 grams). The small amount is meant to minimize radiation dangers.

The robot will then back out to the place it entered the reactor, a roundtrip journey that will take about two weeks.

The mission takes that long because the robot must make extremely precise maneuvers to avoid hitting obstacles or getting stuck in passageways. That has happened to earlier robots.

TEPCO is also limiting daily operations to two hours to minimize the radiation risk for workers in the reactor building. Eight six-member teams will take turns, with each group allowed to stay maximum of about 15 minutes.

What do officials hope to learn?

Sampling the melted fuel debris is "an important first step," said Lake Barrett, who led the cleanup after the 1979 disaster at the U.S. Three Mile Island nuclear plant for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is now a paid adviser for TEPCO's Fukushima decommissioning.

While the melted fuel debris has been kept cool and has stabilized, the aging of the reactors poses potential safety risks, and the melted fuel needs to be removed and relocated to a safer place for long-term storage as soon as possible, experts say.

An understanding of the melted fuel debris is essential to determine how best to remove it, store it and dispose of it, according to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.

Experts expect the sample will also provide more clues about how exactly the meltdown 13 years ago played out, some of which is still a mystery.

The melted fuel sample will be kept in secure canisters and sent to multiple laboratories for more detailed analysis. If the radiation level exceeds a set limit, the robot will take the sample back into the reactor.

"It's the start of a process. It's a long, long road ahead," Barrett said in an online interview. "The goal is to remove the highly radioactive material, put it into engineered canisters ... and put those in storage."

For this mission, the robot's small tong can only reach the upper surface of the debris. The pace of the work is expected to pick up in the future as more experience is gained and robots with additional capabilities are developed.

What's next?

TEPCO will have to "probe down into the debris pile, which is over a meter thick, so you have to go down and see what's inside," Barrett said, noting that at Three Mile Island, the debris on the surface was very different from the material deeper inside. He said multiple samples from different locations must be collected and analyzed to better understand the melted debris and develop necessary equipment, such as stronger robots for future larger-scale removal.

Compared to collecting a tiny sample for analysis, it will be a more difficult challenge to develop and operate robots that can cut larger chunks of melted debris into pieces and put that material into canisters for safe storage.

There are also two other damaged reactors, Unit 1 and Unit 3, which are in worse condition and will take even longer to deal with. TEPCO plans to deploy a set of small drones in Unit 1 for a probe later this year and is developing even smaller "micro" drones for Unit 3, which is filled with a larger amount of water.

Separately, hundreds of spent fuel rods remain in unenclosed cooling pools on the top floor of both Unit 1 and 2. This is a potential safety risk if there's another major quake. Removal of spent fuel rods has been completed at Unit 3.

When will the decommissioning be finished?

Removal of the melted fuel was initially planned to start in late 2021 but has been delayed by technical issues, underscoring the difficulty of the process. The government says decommissioning is expected to take 30-40 years, while some experts say it could take as long as 100 years.

Others are pushing for an entombment of the plant, as at Chernobyl after its 1986 explosion, to reduce radiation levels and risks for plant workers.

That won't work at the seaside Fukushima plant, Barrett says.

"You're in a high seismic area, you're in a high-water area, and there are a lot of unknowns in those (reactor) buildings," he said. "I don't think you can just entomb it and wait."

Don’t Be Bamboozled by Nuclear Power

by Prerna Gupta

 September 13, 2024
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In the face of a complex and urgent problem like climate change, it’s tempting to believe in simple solutions. Just as detox teas or diet pills claim to solve health issues that truly require lifestyle changes, nuclear energy has been marketed as a quick fix for the socio-political problem that climate change is. It’s presented as an essential part of the climate solution, yet, like many health fads, it is both ineffective and harmful. Today, nuclear energy is being pushed in the form of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)—touted as the latest technological miracle.

Jan Haaken’s latest documentary, Atomic Bamboozle, pulls back the curtain on this techno-fantasy, revealing SMRs for what they truly are: old wine in a new bottle. Haaken, a seasoned filmmaker who has tackled climate action in her recent Necessity films, unravels the fantastic narrative surrounding SMR propaganda through humor, expert testimony, and a rich history of grassroots resistance.

Haaken intersperses the industry’s lofty claims with a systematic critique from nuclear expert M. V. Ramana, who debunks the promises of SMRs. Despite their high-tech veneer, these reactors are burdened by the same issues that have long plagued the nuclear industry: exorbitant costs, proliferation risks, risk of catastrophic accidents, and the unresolved nightmare of nuclear waste. The arguments presented concisely here are expanded upon in Ramana’s recent book, Nuclear is Not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change, which offers a comprehensive critique, demonstrating that nuclear energy is neither a desirable nor feasible solution to the climate crisis.

Haaken then draws our attention to the troubled legacy of nuclear power through the resistance to the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant and the ongoing pollution at the Hanford Site. Voices like Lloyd Marbet, a key figure in the Trojan resistance, highlight the dangers inherent in nuclear projects and the struggle to hold industry accountable. Marbet recalls the safety issues surrounding Trojan, such as cracks in its steam generators and the mounting costs required to address them—which eventually led to its shutdown. Meanwhile, First Nations advocates like Cathy Sampson-Kruse and Dr. Russell Jim emphasize the environmental devastation caused by the Hanford Site. The Yakama Nation, along with other activists, have been fighting tirelessly to protect their land and the Columbia River from contamination, underscoring the toxic legacy that still requires cleanup decades later.

Haaken expertly contrasts these real-world examples of nuclear disasters with the glossy, futuristic promises of SMRs as a “clean, green” energy source. This juxtaposition slices through the propaganda and traces the roots of the narrative back to the “Atoms for Peace” program. After the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this initiative sought to rebrand nuclear technology as a “friend” to humanity – presenting nuclear power as a powerful genie that could be safely contained within the walls of a reactor. However, the nuclear industry’s legacy of pollution, which will take thousands of years to clean up, and catastrophic accidents like Fukushima demonstrate that this reassuring image is far from reality.

One of the most dangerous effects of technological quick fixes is their ability to obscure the power dynamics underlying climate issues. Big corporations and influential individuals hide behind technological solutions, deflecting attention from the required changes to a system that disproportionately benefits them. Haaken, therefore, makes a point to focus on billionaires like Bill Gates, who are promoting SMRs. In the video clip shown in the documentary Gates awkwardly plays down the issue of nuclear safety, while Ramana reveals a deeper irony: despite Gates’ immense wealth, even he relies on public funding to push forward these risky projects. Investors seem reluctant to gamble their own money on unproven technologies like SMRs, raising serious doubts about their viability.

This brings Haaken’s sharp yet accessible critique of nuclear energy to its full conclusion, succinctly captured in the film’s title—Atomic Bamboozle. The title itself exposes the latest SMR trend for what it truly is: a sales trick designed to siphon off your tax dollars, peddling an overpriced technology through confusing jargon and false promises.

The Sierra Club Grassroots Network Nuclear Free Team is concluding its first Nuclear-free Film Series with the powerful independent film, ATOMIC BAMBOOZLE: THE FALSE PROMISE OF A NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE. As political pressure mounts in the US to meet net zero carbon goals, the nuclear power industry makes its case for a nuclear “renaissance.” This documentary by NECESSITY Director Jan Haaken follows activists as they expose the true costs of the new small nuclear reactor designs.

A surfer, military geek, and ‘Trump whisperer’: With record nine candidates, who’s next in line for Japan PM?



Nine Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers are competing to win the Japan ruling party’s leadership contest. — AFP pic

Thursday, 12 Sep 2024 

TOKYO, Sept 12 — A photogenic political scion, a military model-maker and a hardliner hoping to become Japan’s first woman prime minister are among nine candidates vying to lead the world’s fourth largest economy.

AFP gives a rundown of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers competing to win the ruling party’s leadership contest — and therefore become prime minister — on September 27:


The surfer

Surfing, media-savvy Shinjiro Koizumi is the youthful, photogenic son of the popular former premier Junichiro Koizumi.


As environment minister, Koizumi backed greater use of renewables.


He also took paternity leave in the post, saying he wants to share parenting duties with his television presenter wife.

But this doesn’t endear him to LDP elders, who might see Koizumi, 43, as too young and too lightweight to be prime minister.


Model-maker

Shigeru Ishiba is a former defence minister who is popular with voters but less so with LDP lawmakers, resulting in four failed attempts to be party leader.

The 67-year-old has questioned the Bank of Japan’s maverick interest rate policy while calling for efforts to counter rural depopulation.

He likes making military models — including one of a Soviet aircraft carrier for the visit of a Russian defence minister — as well as trains and 1970s pop idols.

The nationalist

Sanae Takaichi is a vocal nationalist popular with the LDP’s conservative wing. She was close to assassinated ex-premier Shinzo Abe, whose supporters are still powerful.

Takaichi, 63, is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni shrine to Japan’s war dead — including convicted war criminals — so her nomination would likely rile China and South Korea.

Like Abe, Takaichi, who also ran for the leadership in 2021, backs aggressive monetary easing, active fiscal spending and nuclear power.

But unlike her hero Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, she played drums in a student heavy metal band.

The liberal

Taro Kono, currently minister for digital transformation, is an experienced and outspoken reformist who was defeated by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the last leadership race in 2021.

US-educated Kono, 61, has held multiple minister jobs and has 2.5 million followers on X. His views are liberal-leaning by LDP standards.

Thirteen years after the Fukushima disaster, he has softened his opposition to nuclear power to meet growing energy demands, including from AI data centres.

The diplomat

Harvard-educated former consultant and current foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa is one of two women in the running along with Takaichi.

While justice minister, Kamikawa ordered 16 executions, including that of the head of the Aum doomsday cult responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.

As Japan’s top diplomat, the 71-year-old has won plaudits, including for a visit to Kyiv, but she reportedly struggled to secure the support needed to run as a candidate.

‘Trump Whisperer’

With strong English, Abe’s former golf partner Toshimitsu Motegi was dubbed the “Trump whisperer” for his deft handling of tricky US-Japan trade talks.

The Harvard-educated LDP secretary-general has been economy and foreign minister, and is respected for his policy knowledge.

But Motegi, 68, is reportedly feared for having a short fuse. Even Trump reportedly told Abe that he thought Motegi was “too tough”.

The others Former foreign minister and current chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, former health minister Katsunobu Kato and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi are also in the running.

Anything could happen, with the race more open this time around after most of the LDP’s factions were disbanded in the wake of a funding scandal. — AFP

Peaches from Japan's Fukushima region sold at Harrods

Agence France-Presse
September 10, 2024 

Before the 2011 nuclear meltdown, Fukushima prided itself as a 'fruit kingdom' (STR)

Peaches from Fukushima can now be bought at London's luxury department store Harrods in a Japanese push to ease fears about produce grown in the region hit by nuclear disaster.

A box of three large, juicy white peaches costs 80 pounds ($100) -- the first time the fruit is available at a shop in Europe, after sales at temporary events.

Before the 2011 atomic meltdown, Fukushima prided itself as a "fruit kingdom", famous in Japan for its delicious offerings, including peaches, grapes, pears and cherries.


But after an earthquake-triggered tsunami unleashed the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, consumers feared eating them could harm their health and sales plunged.

Although the areas surrounding the stricken Fukushima Daiichi power station were evacuated over radiation fears, farms in the rest of the region were not contaminated.

And before being sent to stores, all farm and fishery products from the northeastern Japanese prefecture now undergoes strict radiation inspection.

Harrods began selling the peaches on Saturday, part of a reputation-building initiative by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima plant.

The company has previously staged campaigns in the United States, Thailand and other major economies to promote rice, farm products and seafood from Fukushima.

"The primary purpose of those activities is to erase fears in foreign markets of Fukushima produce," a TEPCO spokesman told AFP on Tuesday.

An association of Fukushima residents in London hailed the news as a "major step forward" in a Facebook post.

"Many people asked us at Japan festivals, 'where can we buy these?'" it said.

"Please enjoy the taste of these peaches that Fukushima proudly presents to the rest of the world."

Fukushima begins robotic removal of radioactive debris sample 13 years after nuclear disaster

Mission to retrieve debris resumes after delay, marking crucial step in decades-long cleanup process

Namita Singh

Related: Residents gradually return after Fukushima nuclear disaster

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A robotic mission to retrieve a sample of melted radioactive debris from Fukushima Daiichi’s reactor resumed on Tuesday, marking a crucial step in the decades-long decommissioning process.

The “pilot extraction operation” has started, said Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) in a statement.

A 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami ravaged parts of Japan’s northeastern coast on 11 March 2011, killing about 20,000 people. When the tsunami struck, three of the six reactors at the Fukushima plant were active, causing them to melt down. The resulting debris is extremely radioactive, requiring Tepco to create special robots that can withstand the high levels of radiation.

The extendable robot, nicknamed “telesco”, aims to collect a tiny fragment of the spent fuel debris, estimated to be around 880 tonnes, to inform future cleanup methods.

The operation, initially delayed due to a technical issue, involves inserting the robot into the damaged reactor to collect a sample using a device equipped with tongs.

The mission, resuming after three weeks, is expected to last around 14 days, with the robot operating remotely.

The mission to collect a sample from the plant was supposed to start on 22 August, but it was delayed after workers found that the pipes used to guide the robot were in the wrong order and couldn’t be fixed in time.

Telesco is designed to collect a piece of melted fuel from inside of the Unit 2 damaged reactor. It can extend up to 22m to reach the target area.

The mix-up, which Tepco called a “basic mistake”, triggered disappointment and raised concerns from officials and local residents. Industry minister Ken Saito ordered Tepco president Tomoaki Kobayakawa to conduct a thorough investigation of the cause and preventive steps before resuming the mission, stating, “we must ensure that such a basic mistake does not happen again”.

The pipes were brought into the reactor building in July, but nobody checked them until the problem was discovered. The president of the plant’s operator, Tepco, admitted that the mistake was due to a lack of attention and communication between workers.

The goal of the operation is to bring back less than 3g of fatally radioactive fuel that remain in three reactors.

Experts highlight the significance of this operation, as the retrieved sample will provide vital data for developing future decommissioning methods and necessary technology. “This sample will help us understand the condition of the melted fuel and how to remove it safely,” said a nuclear expert.

However, critics argue that the 30 to 40-year cleanup target set by the government and Tepco is unrealistic, with no specific plans for the full removal and storage of the melted fuel debris. “The lack of a clear plan and timeline raises concerns about the project’s feasibility,” said a local resident.

Additional reporting from agencies

Takaichi becomes 1st woman candidate in Japan's PM race

Erica Yokoyama and Alastair Gale | Bloomberg

TAKAICHI: Sanae Takaichi has announced her candidacy for Japan's Prime Minister race. Toru Hanai/Bloomberg

Japan’s ruling party leadership election will have at least one woman in the field after Sanae Takaichi entered the race on Monday.

The protégé of late Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and his aggressive monetary and fiscal policy views pledged to use public money to boost jobs and growth. Takaichi placed third in the 2021 LDP leadership election and is currently trailing Shinjiro Koizumi and Shigeru Ishiba in the latest race.

The leader of the LDP is all but assured of becoming prime minister because of the party’s dominance in parliament. The election will take place on Sept. 27.


Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida surprised many by saying in August he wouldn’t run in the election, ending his term after nearly three years as premier.


Here’s a look at some of the contenders to replace Kishida.

Sanae Takaichi, 63

A former heavy metal drummer turned hard-line conservative, Takaichi has cited former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as an inspiration. Currently minister for economic security, Takaichi is among the leading contenders according to recent public opinion polls. She is a frequent visitor to Yasukuni Shrine, a site regarded by Japan’s neighbors as a symbol of past militarism.

Key policies:Monetary: Support for ultra-loose monetary policy of stance of former premier Abe; doesn’t think price target has been stably met
Fiscal: Believes a strong economy would bring stable growth without raising tax rates; seeks strategic fiscal spending
Energy: Says Japan should target 100% energy self-sufficiency; Would invest in next-generation nuclear reactors in the latter half of 2020s, look to nuclear fusion in the 2030s

Shinjiro Koizumi, 43

The son of a former premier, Shinjiro Koizumi attracted attention in September 2023 for surfing off Fukushima to ease safety concerns following the release of treated wastewater from the wrecked nuclear plant. A former environment minister and proponent of renewable energy, Koizumi made headlines for becoming the first serving cabinet minister to take paternity leave. Koizumi is generally running first or second in polls asking voters who they would like to become prime minister. He formally declared on Sept. 6.

Key policies:Economy: While in principle continuing Kishida’s policies, he said he will also review firing restrictions as part of labor reforms, and completely allow ridesharing
Defense: Defense spending must be swiftly raised to 2% of GDP
Financial: Has said it’s not the time to discuss capital gains tax, given the recent moves from savings to investment
Energy: Restarting new nuclear reactors is an option; need to reduce the amount spent on fossil fuels

Shigeru Ishiba, 67

A former defense minister, Ishiba ranks high in voter surveys of popularity. In his last four tries at the top job, he has struggled to garner enough support from his fellow lawmakers to win the leadership race. In recent weeks, Ishiba has expressed support for the Bank of Japan’s normalization of monetary policy. He announced his candidacy on Aug. 24.

Key policies:Monetary: Has backed the BOJ’s July 31 decision to raise rates and criticized the government’s past long-term extraordinary easing policy
Economic: Looks to reinvigorate domestic demand to spur growth, rather than relying on foreign trade
Foreign: Has been a strong backer of democracy in Taiwan and building partnerships in the region as a way of deterrence against the likes of China

Kono Taro, 61

A former foreign and defense minister with a combative style, Kono lost to Kishida in the last leadership race due to a lack of backing from his parliamentary peers. Kono is in the middle of the pack in recent public opinion polls. Kono has softened his opposition to nuclear power in recent years. He asks that his name be written Japanese style, with his family name first. He declared on Aug. 26.


Key policies:Monetary: Supports BOJ policy normalization if inflation remains in line with expectations. Has also said the weak yen is a problem for Japan.
Fiscal: Says fiscal consolidation is a priority after large stimulus spending during the pandemic
Digital: Called for ending antiquated practices such as use of name stamps as he seeks wider reforms

Toshimitsu Motegi, 68


A party heavyweight who recently said the BOJ should more clearly show its intention to normalize monetary policy, Motegi is currently in the LDP’s No. 2 position. A former foreign minister, he’s also a Harvard graduate and has a tough guy image within the party. He announced his run on Sept. 4.

Key policies:Monetary: Has said BOJ should more clearly show its intention to normalize monetary policy to support the yen, as a weak currency might drive up prices
Fiscal: As party secretary-general, Motegi has been a backer of current fiscal policies and is likely to support the status quo. He has advocated returning some of Japan’s increased tax revenues to the people via direct tax cuts
Foreign: As foreign minister, Motegi showed support for peace in the Taiwan Strait, while also planning for contingencies

Takayuki Kobayashi, 49

Kobayashi is considered part of the younger generation of potential leaders. He is a long shot to take over in 2024, but by running now he is letting LDP members and voters know he has his eyes set on eventually becoming premier. He declared his candidacy on Aug. 19.

Key policies:Monetary: Has spoken about the difficulties of absorbing bonds domestically and the need for seeking overseas investors
Economy: Has said the economy takes precedence over finance, indicating that spending for growth is important
Trade: Expressed need for Japan to strengthen supply chains, including those for critical minerals like lithium and cobalt that are used in energy transition technologies

Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63

Hayashi is from the dovish wing of the ruling party and a trusted lieutenant of Kishida. He ran unsuccessfully in the LDP leadership race in 2012 and is considered by many political analysts to be an outsider in this year’s election. Hayashi studied at Harvard University and spent most of the Kishida administration as foreign minister. He announced his run on Sept. 3.

Key policies:Economy: Supports fiscal spending but says it’s important to keep confidence in Japanese government bonds
Foreign policy: Rejects criticism he’s pro-China and says he’s someone who prioritizes dialogue, including with China
Energy: In favor of restarting nuclear power plants if their safety is confirmed

Katsunobu Kato, 68

The former health minister could emerge as a compromise candidate. The seven-term lawmaker helped guide Japan through the Covid-19 pandemic when the country fared better than most of its Group of Seven peers. Kato has not ruffled a lot of feathers in the ruling party, while playing key roles under the last three premiers. He plans to hold a press conference to formally declare his candidacy on Sept. 10.

Key policies:Monetary policy: In a Bloomberg interview, he said Japan should continue to aim for a world where interest rates and prices keep moving
Economic policy: Aims for sustainable growth through major investment to boost productivity
Fiscal policy: Seeks a balanced approach to managing fiscal health and securing growth

Yoko Kamikawa, 71

Kamikawa is a Harvard graduate who ran her own consulting firm before entering politics. She is known for her efforts to promote women candidates, which is an uphill battle given that only about 12% of LDP lawmakers are female. Kamikawa has yet to declare.


Key Policies:Fiscal: She supported active fiscal spending ahead of the last LDP election in 2021 but has since flagged the need for fiscal discipline
Foreign: Has firmly backed trilateral security cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the U.S. and has pressed to advance human rights globally

Other names listed as possible candidates include lawmaker Seiko Noda, who previously came up short on her bid to become the country’s first female premier, and Ken Saito, the minister of economy, trade and industry.



With assistance from Isabel Reynolds, Yuki Hagiwara and Jon Herskovitz.

Japan resumes trial to extract nuclear fuel debris from Fukushima plant

Operation to retrieve less than 3 grams of nuclear fuel debris was halted last month

Riyaz ul Khaliq |10.09.2024 - 


ISTANBUL

Japan has resumed a trial operation to extract nuclear fuel debris from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, for the first time since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

The trial, which aims to extract a small amount of the highly radioactive material, was paused last month when the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings or TEPCO, encountered problems during the retrieval process.

The operator had faced an issue in the installation of the robotic removal device -- a telescopic device equipped with a gripper tool.

After confirming that the devices are now correctly installed, the TEPCO “passed the device through an isolation valve, intended to block radioactive material, in the morning (of Tuesday),” the Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

The device extends up to 22 meters (72 feet) and the operator is aiming to collect less than 3 grams of debris which can take the device at least two weeks to reach its target.

There are estimated 880 tons of fuel debris remaining in the Nos. 1, 2, and 3 reactors of the crippled nuclear plant.

The Fukushima nuclear plant was damaged when a magnitude 9 earthquake, followed by a tsunami, struck Japan in 2011.

Last month also marked one year since Japan began releasing treated nuclear water from the Fukushima plant.

Robot begins mission to retrieve melted fuel from Fukushima nuclear plant

10 September 2024

Japan Nuclear Fukushima. Picture: PA

Highly radioactive fuel and other materials in the reactors melted when a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 damaged the plant’s cooling systems.

An extendable robot has begun a two-week mission to retrieve the first sample of melted fuel debris from inside one of three damaged reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Highly radioactive fuel and other materials in the reactors melted when a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 damaged the plant’s cooling systems.

The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco), has previously used small robots to examine the inside of the reactors, but this is the first time it will have collected a sample of the melted debris in what will mark the start of the most challenging part of the plant’s decades-long decommissioning.

The mission was initially scheduled to begin on August 22 but was suspended when workers noticed that five 5ft (1.5m) pipes to be used to push the robot into the reactor had been arranged in the wrong order, Tepco said.

The equipment was reassembled in the right order for Tuesday’s attempt, the company added.

Tepco executives observe officials making final checks for the robot’s mission at Fukjushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings/AP)

Once inside the reactor vessel, the robot is operated remotely from a safer location.

The robot, nicknamed “Telesco”, can extend up to about 72ft (22m), including the pipes pushing it from behind, to reach the melted fuel mound, where it will use tongs to collect a fragment weighing less than 0.1oz (3g). It is expected to take about two weeks to obtain the fragment.

An estimated 880 tons of fatally radioactive molten fuel remains in the three reactors.

Chief government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi noted that the mission marks the start of the most difficult phase of the Fukushima Daiichi clean-up.

“The government will firmly and responsibly tackle the decommissioning until the very end,” he said.

The government and Tepco have set a 30- to 40-year target for the clean-up, despite criticism that it is unrealistic.

No specific plans for the full removal of the melted fuel debris or its storage have been decided.

By Press Association

Artificial muscles propel a robotic leg to walk and jump

ETH Zurich

 

image: 

The robotic leg jumps across different terrains.

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Credit: Thomas Buchner / ETH Zurich and Toshihiko Fukushima / Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

Inventors and researchers have been developing robots for almost 70 years. To date, all the machines they have built – whether for factories or elsewhere – have had one thing in common: they are powered by motors, a technology that is already 200 years old. Even walking robots feature arms and legs that are powered by motors, not by muscles as in humans and animals. This in part suggests why they lack the mobility and adaptability of living creatures.

A new muscle-powered robotic leg is not only more energy efficient than a conventional one, it can also perform high jumps and fast movements as well as detect and react to obstacles – all without the need for complex sensors. The new leg has been developed by researchers at ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in a research partnership called Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems, known as CLS. The CLS team was led by Robert Katzschmann at ETH Zurich and Christoph Keplinger at MPI-IS. Their doctoral students Thomas Buchner and Toshihiko Fukushima are the co-first authors of the team’s publication on an animal-inspired musculoskeletal robotic leg in Nature Communications.

Electrically charged like a balloon

As in humans and animals, an extensor and a flexor muscle ensure that the robotic leg can move in both directions. These electro-hydraulic actuators, which the researchers call HASELs, are attached to the skeleton by tendons.

The actuators are oil-filled plastic bags, similar to those used to make ice cubes. About half of each bag is coated on either side with a black electrode made of a conductive material. Buchner explains that “as soon as we apply a voltage to the electrodes, they are attracted to each other due to static electricity. Similarly, when I rub a balloon against my head, my hair sticks to the balloon due to the same static electricity.” As one increases the voltage, the electrodes come closer and push the oil in the bag to one side, making the bag overall shorter.

Pairs of these actuators attached to a skeleton result in the same paired muscle movements as in living creatures: as one muscle shortens, its counterpart lengthens. The researchers use a computer code that communicates with high-voltage amplifiers to control which actuators contract, and which extend.

More efficient than electric motors

The researchers compared the energy efficiency of their robotic leg with that of a conventional robotic leg powered by an electric motor. Among other things, they analysed how much energy is unnecessarily converted into heat. “On the infrared image, it’s easy to see that the motorised leg consumes much more energy if, say, it has to hold a bent position,” Buchner says. The temperature in the electro-hydraulic leg, in contrast, remains the same. This is because the artificial muscle is electrostatic. “It’s like the example with the balloon and the hair, where the hair stays stuck to the balloon for quite a long time,” Buchner adds. “Typically, electric motor driven robots need heat management which requires additional heat sinks or fans for diffusing the heat to the air. Our system doesn’t require them,” Fukushima says.

Agile movement over uneven terrain

The robotic leg’s ability to jump is based on its ability to lift its own weight explosively. The researchers also showed that the robotic leg has a high degree of adaptability, which is particularly important for soft robotics. Only if the musculoskeletal system has sufficient elasticity can it adapt flexibly to the terrain in question. “It’s no different with living creatures. If we can’t bend our knees, for example, walking on an uneven surface becomes much more difficult,” Katzschmann says. “Just think of taking a step down from the pavement onto the road.”

In contrast to electric motors requiring sensors to constantly tell what angle the robotic leg is at, the artificial muscle adapts to suitable position through the interaction with the environment. This is driven just by two input signals: one to bend the joint and one to extend it. Fukushima explains: “Adapting to the terrain is a key aspect. When a person lands after jumping into the air, they don’t have to think in advance about whether they should bend their knees at a 90-degree or a 70-degree angle.” The same principle applies to the robotic leg’s musculoskeletal system: upon landing, the leg joint adaptively moves into a suitable angle depending on whether the surface is hard or soft.

Emerging technology opens up new possibilities

The research field of electrohydraulic actuators is still young, having emerged only around six years ago. “The field of robotics is making rapid progress with advanced controls and machine learning; in contrast, there has been much less progress with robotic hardware, which is equally important. This publication is a powerful reminder of how much potential for disruptive innovation comes from introducing new hardware concepts, like the use of artificial muscles”, Keplinger says. Katzschmann adds that electro-hydraulic actuators are unlikely to be used in heavy machinery on construction sites, but they do offer specific advantages over standard electric motors. This is particularly evident in applications such as grippers, where the movements have to be highly customised depending on whether the object being gripped is, for example, a ball, an egg or a tomato.

Katzschmann does have one reservation: “Compared to walking robots with electric motors, our system is still limited. The leg is currently attached to a rod, jumps in circles and can’t yet move freely.” Future work should overcome these limitations, opening the door to developing real walking robots with artificial muscles. He further elaborates: “If we combine the robotic leg in a quadruped robot or a humanoid robot with two legs, maybe one day, when it is battery-powered, we can deploy it as a rescue robot.”

While conventional robotic legs are driven by an electromagnetic rotary motor (left), for their musculoskeletal system the researchers use electrohydraulic actuators – i.e. artificial muscles (right).

Infrared image 

When robotic legs have to hold a certain position for a long time, a lot of current flows through the DC motor that drives them (left). Over time, energy is lost in the form of heat. In contrast, the artificial muscles (right), which work on the principle of electrostatics and are efficient, remain cold, because no current flows through them under a constant load.

Credit

Thomas Buchner / ETH Zurich and Toshihiko Fukushima / MPI-IS

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-51568-3 

Article Title

Electrohydraulic musculoskeletal robotic leg for agile, adaptive, yet energy-efficient locomotion

Article Publication Date

9-Sep-2024