These are the first robotic successes in a nuclear disaster, thanks to technological advances in the extraction of melted fuel.
Fourteen years after Japan’s worst nuclear disaster, Tepco (operator of Fukushima Daiichi) achieved a historic milestone: extracting 0.7 grams of nuclear fuel melted by specialized robots.
This breakthrough, achieved in November 2023, marks the beginning of a process that could last 40 years, as there are still between 800 and 880 tons of radioactive waste in the damaged reactors.
The work is carried out in the “green zone,” an area with 96% less radiation, where workers wear anti-contamination suits, masks, and dosimeters.
The legacy of the 2011 tsunami: failures and reinforcements
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a 15-meter tsunami caused the collapse of the cooling systems at the plant, leading to the melting of three reactors. Accused of underestimating the risks, Tepco built a 16-meter dike based on French technology.
“Although it blocks waves up to 16 meters, we have protocols in place for larger events,” a spokesperson explained. They also implemented a drainage system to prevent water accumulation in case of new tsunamis.
Treated water: between science and the controversy of the nuclear disaster
Managing 1.37 million tons of contaminated water —equivalent to 510 Olympic pools— remains a challenge. Although the water is filtered to remove 62 radioactive elements, tritium persists.
Tepco dilutes the liquid to reach 1500 becquerels per liter —25 times less than the WHO limit— before pouring it into the Pacific. Despite criticism from China and South Korea, local studies show that the mortality in fish exposed to this water is equal to that of normal environments.
Return to Fukushima: life under radiological surveillance
Only 30% of the evacuees have returned to authorized areas. Families like Guche’s live 5 km from the plant, carrying personal dosimeters. “The levels here are 7-10 times higher than in Tokyo, but within safe parameters,” detailed a resident.
Authorities publish daily radiation data, while schools like the Guche Foundation (with 85 students, 70% from outside the region) promote critical pedagogies. “The rigid educational system contributed to the disaster. We teach children to think,” said their director.
An uncertain future: decades of dismantling and memory
While Tepco projects another 30 years of work to address the nuclear disaster, local communities are rebuilding their identity. Cases of cancer in workers and demands for compensation (especially from those affected as children in 2011) remind of the human costs of the accident.
For Japan, Fukushima remains a crossroads: between technological advancement, energy security, and the scars of a past that still shapes its present.
