Tokyo Electric Power Co. began injecting nitrogen July 14 into the No. 3 reactor at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to prevent further hydrogen explosions.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. began injecting nitrogen July 14 into the No. 3 reactor at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to prevent further hydrogen explosions.
By pumping in nitrogen, hydrogen will be pushed out of the containment vessel lowering the risk of a hydrogen explosion.
Under its plan to bring the plant under control, TEPCO officials set a goal of injecting nitrogen into the No. 1 to No. 3 reactors by mid-July.
Nitrogen was first pumped into the No. 1 reactor on April 7, and subsequently injected into the No. 2 reactor.
On July 12, a hose from the nitrogen generating device was inserted into the No. 3 reactor building and connected to piping that goes through the containment vessel.
There is the possibility of radioactive materials within the containment vessel leaking into the atmosphere when the nitrogen is injected.
TEPCO officials said there would be only a minor effect on the surrounding environment, but told officials of the Fukushima prefectural government as well as the governments of surrounding municipalities of TEPCO's plans before going ahead with the nitrogen injection.
Central government officials had said they would consider lifting a designation on municipalities to prepare for evacuations in case of emergency after certain conditions were met, such as the absence of the danger of an explosion or when there is almost no release of radioactive materials into the atmosphere.
Injecting nitrogen into the containment vessel would help achieve one of those conditions.