Japan to achieve cold shutdown of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant by yearend

Japan said here Tuesday that the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant crippled after a massive earthquake and its resulting tsunami ion March, is in a situation that is "moving steadily towards restoration" and Tokyo plans to seek achieve a cold shutdown by the end of this year. Tsuneo Nishida, the Japanese permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks at an open meeting of the UN General Assembly to review the latest report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "The situation at the (Fukushima Daiichi) plant is moving steadily towards restoration," Nishida said. "We are planning to move up the existing target period, and will endeavor to achieve cold shutdown by the end of this year." According to Japan, the so-called cold shutdown is meant to stop functioning nuclear reactor and keep the temperature of the reactor pressure vessel at 100 degrees Celsius and lower. Realizing a cold shutdown and reducing the amount of contaminated water are part of the key goals of the so-called " step two" phase of the road map, which is updated every month. The Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power Co., the plant operator, had initially aimed to complete the step by January at the latest. The Japanese Atomic Energy Commission said on Friday that Japan needs more than 30 years to dismantle the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The accident of the nuclear power plant "caused grave damage to Japan and its people," said the Japanese ambassador, who thanked the international community including the IAEA for their support, assistance and solidarity. The radiation leak in Japan is the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.