Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced that the recovery of the melted nuclear fuel from Fukushima nuclear power plant no. 1 affected, the first step in the radioactive waste removal project.

On October 30, TEPCO engineers used a remote-controlled robotic crane to lift a piece of fuel debris from reactor no. 2 of the plant.

The extracted piece, estimated to weigh less than 3 grams, will be removed from the reactor in the coming days before being sent to a laboratory in Ibaraki Prefecture for detailed analysis.

If successful, it will be the first time spent nuclear fuel has been recovered from the plant since the devastating 2011 accident triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

TEPCO will use the results of the analysis to determine how to recover the approximately 880 tons of debris that has accumulated in reactors no. 1, no. 2 and no. 3 of the plant.

Removing the highly radioactive waste is the biggest challenge in the plant’s long decommissioning process, which is expected to take decades.

The crane device shown in the latest operation extends up to 22 meters and is equipped with two cameras and a grip.

The operation was originally scheduled to begin in 2021, but faced delays due to technical problems with a different robotic arm designed for the project. This boom was eventually replaced by the crane in use today.

Even after the project resumed in August, repeated technical glitches further pushed back the schedule.

The most recent failure involved faulty cameras on the crane. While the replacement cameras are working properly, the cause of the initial difficulties has yet to be identified.