Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has been forced to halt the removal of melted radioactive fuel from the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, just days after the operation commenced, Bloomberg reports.
The suspension, reported by the Nikkei, stems from a technical issue that occurred on Tuesday, rendering two cameras on the retrieval device inoperable.
This setback marks the latest challenge in the monumental task of decommissioning the plant, a process estimated to take decades and cost a staggering 23 trillion yen ($164 billion). The operation, aimed at extracting the melted fuel, was initiated last week after a previous delay in August due to procedural errors.
A specialized robotic arm, designed to resemble a fishing rod, was employed to retrieve small amounts of debris using a claw-like metallic grip. The malfunctioning cameras have significantly hampered the delicate process, necessitating a temporary halt to operations while TEPCO investigates the issue.
