Second Wednesday update (5/25)

Some further Fukushima Daiichi updates.

First, on the wires right now, an indication that TEPCO is saying that the pressure vessel at No. 1 plant was damaged immediately after the earthquake... Only Kyodo News is carrying this at the moment, and it may duplicate the 18 hr damage estimate we've seen previously.

Next, TEPCO has further reduced the injection rate at No. 3 plant. The feed rate from the fire extinguishing line is now down to 3 cubic meters per hour, with the injection through the feed system remaining at 12 so that the total injection rate is now 15 cubic meters per hour. Rates at No. 1 (6 per hour) and No. 2 (7 per hour) remain the same. Temperature of No. 3 plant is stable (RPV temperatures indicated by NISA/JAIF/TEPCO.)

TEPCO will be installing a heat exchanger for the spent fuel pool at No. 2 plant immediately.

Water transfer at the site is becoming problematic, as it appears that storage capacity is being outrun by contaminated water volume. This is probably driving the continuous rate reduction at No. 3 plant.

I'm looking at a quite massive and detailed release by TEPCO at the moment, concerning immediate post-quake and post-tsunami details, parameters and actions and will report on this if anything in it differs from what we've been told so far, or if anything important jumps out.

5:50 PM Eastern Wednesday 5/25
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