Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said difficulties to freeze standing water are being confused with an ice wall project at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
TEPCO said workers with Kajima Corp. started the process of freezing approximately 11,000 tonnes of radioactive standing water in tunnels under two reactor buildings. TEPCO said running water under Unit 2 is preventing the water from freezing. TEPCO said it hopes to remove the standing water by the end of fiscal year 2014.
That issue is not to be confused with an ice wall project the same company is performing to try and keep radioactive water inside four units from leaking into the nearby sea, TEPCO said. The ice wall calls for freezing the soil surrounding pipes that carry circulating refrigerant and is progressing as planned. Construction on the ice wall began in May and is expected to take a year to complete.
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