Limited accumulation was fully contained within the Kurion equipment and safely removed without release to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant or environment
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kurion, Inc., an innovator in nuclear waste management, announced that approximately 3 metric tons (3 cubic meters) of leaked water was discovered a week ago in a processing skid within the Kurion supplied Ion Specific Media System (a.k.a. Cesium Absorption System) at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. All leaked water was fully contained within the skid's drip pan, safely recovered and system redundancies allowed operation to continue at the required rate. The cause of the leak is under investigation.
On October 18, 2011 the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reported that during scheduled maintenance of the second of four Kurion cesium processing skids "... a puddle of water was found" of "approximately 3 cubic meters" and that "the leakage already stopped". The "puddle" was removed by pumping the water back to the upstream tank. The leak is very small such that location has as yet not been determined. Prior to discovering the leak, TEPCO had transferred operation to alternate available Kurion processing skids and on October 19 confirmed operation at the presently required processing rate. Operation at this rate continues.
The Kurion Ion Specific Media System began operation on June 17, 2011 as the primary means to process highly contaminated seawater on an emergency expedited basis. The Ion Specific Media System was designed, delivered and commissioned in two months achieving greater than 99% Cesium removal from the outset. Since that time, ongoing enhancements have improved performance such that Cesium is non-detectable in the processed water exiting the system; reflecting a greater than a 99.999% cesium removal. Kurion, in cooperation with TEPCO, works on continuous improvements basis seeking more cost effective and reliable operation.
ABOUT KURION
Kurion provides innovative, easily deployable technologies to accelerate project performance and compliance and substantially reduce customer radioactive waste management life-cycle costs. Founded in 2008, Kurion is backed by leading energy investors Lux Capital Management and Firelake Capital Management. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Kurion operates a R&D facility in Oak Ridge, TN and a test facility in Rolla, MO. For more information, please visit www.kurion.com.
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Contacts
Kurion, Inc.
Gaetan Bonhomme, +1 949-398-6350
Fax: +1 949-682-7028
info@kurion.com
www.kurion.com
View of Kurion Ion Specific Media System for removing cesium. Image shows the six processing skids and central piping gallery. (Photo: Business Wire)