Wednesday morning update / Fukushima Daiichi

Very little new technical data is coming out of Japan, likely because the situation is not nearly so fluid as it was before. Here are some updates.

The level of radioiodine in the water south of the plant has spiked to an incredible 3300+ times the allowed limit. No one has yet said how this is getting into the water; the likely suspect is No. 2 plant.

The condenser hotwell is full at No. 1 plant, leaving roughly 20cm of water in the turbine building. Now the water transfer problem becomes more elaborate.

The most recent temperature data I have seen on No. 1 plant is a feed nozzle temperature of about 305C, or where it was when I last reported it. No. 2 plant is also heating up; not nearly as high, but the temperature is increasing. It seems as if TEPCO is trying to play both ends, as it were, and maintain core cooling with as little water injection as possible. The most recent JAIF status report now reflects this data, although it isn't recent enough to reflect the increase at unit 2:

JAIF STATUS REPORT MARCH 30 1600

NHK has reported a barge on the way to be brought into the breakwater or next to it to receive contaminated water.

All four plant control rooms have lights. They do NOT have I&C.

There was a fire at No. 1 plant late on the 30th, at 5:56 PM. This was a fire in what was described as a power panel for a 'drawing water pump to the outdoor duct.' This sounds like a motor controller for a seawater pump, and actually no fire was observed but smoke issuing from the equipment. Once deenergized, the smoke stopped and the damage is limited to just that panel.

Unsurprisingly TEPCO's upper management has admitted that Fukushima Daiichi No. 1 through No. 4 will be decommissioned. No mention was made of No. 5 and No. 6 or for that matter the planned but not under construction No. 7 and No. 8 at the same site by TEPCO. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano is advocating the decommissioning of all reactors on the site. The latter position is the one we figured would be taken, and wrote about here a while back.

9:10 AM Eastern Wednesday 3/30
ATOMIC POWER REVIEW

UPDATE: Various Japanese media are saying that the controller fire occurred at the Fukushima Daini site's No. 1 plant, but there are two TEPCO press releases stating that this was at the Fukushima Daiichi No. 1 plant.