Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, will visit Fukushima this week to inspect vast storage sites holding soil contaminated by the 2011 nuclear disaster.
The Japanese government is yet to finalise a disposal plan for the 13 million cubic metres of soil, enough to fill multiple stadiums, which was stripped from the region to reduce radiation levels.
Mr Grossi, who leads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is set to tour the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant on Wednesday.
He will also examine storage facilities containing soil and 300,000 cubic metres of ash from incinerated organic material. While Japan intends to recycle around 75 per cent of the soil found to have low radioactivity levels for infrastructure projects, the remainder will be disposed of outside Fukushima by 2045.
Authorities aim to determine the final disposal site within the year, with regional leaders urging swift action.
A report published by the IAEA in September confirmed that Japan’s soil recycling and disposal strategy aligns with international safety standards. However, experts warn of significant challenges.
Olivier Evrard, research director at France’s Atomic Energy Commission, told AFP that stripping the topsoil was effective in reducing contamination near waterways but came with drawbacks. “It had an enormous cost, it generated a massive amount of waste and still poses fertility issues” for agriculture, he said.
The Fukushima disaster was triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, leading to a reactor meltdown in the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
The ongoing clean-up includes the delicate task of removing 880 tonnes of radioactive fuel and debris from the site, with only a tiny sample retrieved so far by a robotic claw.
Grossi’s visit coincides with efforts to reassure international communities over the discharge of treated wastewater from the plant. Experts from the IAEA and nations including China and South Korea will collect seawater and fish samples to verify safety standards.
Since August 2023, plant operator Tepco has been releasing 1.3 million tonnes of filtered water, with all radioactive elements except tritium removed to permissible levels. The IAEA has backed the process, but critics, including China and Russia, have imposed seafood bans on Japan.
Meanwhile, Japan is shifting its nuclear policy.
A new strategic energy plan proposes maximising nuclear power rather than reducing reliance on it, as previously stated in government policies. The plan projects that nuclear energy will supply 20 per cent of Japan’s electricity by 2040, with 30 reactors in operation. Renewable energy is expected to rise to between 40 and 50 per cent, while coal usage is set to decline.
As of 2023, nuclear power provides for roughly 8.5 per cent of the country’s energy needs and renewables about 23 per cent, according to data from the trade ministry.
The move has sparked opposition from environmental groups, who warn of safety risks associated with ageing reactors. Aileen Smith, executive director of Green Action, criticised the government’s approach.
“Many nuclear plants are old, and the technology they use is even older. The costs of retrofitting are high, so even operating existing plants is no longer commercially viable,” she told the Guardian.
Others, like Hisayo Takada of Greenpeace Japan, argue that extending reactor lifespans to 60 years or beyond is a “major experiment” with catastrophic potential.
Despite safety concerns, Japan’s government insists nuclear power is crucial to meeting growing electricity demands and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
However, campaigners argue that investment should focus on renewables instead. “The climate crisis demands rapid decarbonisation,” Ms Takada said.
“The only technologies that can deliver on the short timescale we face are improved energy efficiency and expanding renewable energy.”
