Ice wall at Fukushima power plant aimed at limiting environmental damage

Japan is constructing a frozen wall near the damaged Fukushima power plant with the aim of containing thousands of tonnes of irradiated water and critics have warned it could lead to further problems.

The Fukushima Daichi plant went into meltdown in March 2011 after a Tsunami damaged the reactors.

The 32 billion yen (£185m) wall will be built with technology that has never been used on such a large scale.

The 1.5km (0.9 mile) underground wall is made from 1,550 coolant-circulating pipes inserted 33 metres into the ground and will surround the perimeter of the damaged reactors. Coolant will be pumped into the pipes at -30°C.

Construction on the wall began last week and the total cost is expected to reach 32 billion yen (£185m).

The wall is meant to contain thousands of tonnes of irradiated reactor cooling water that has leaked out of 3 damaged reactors at the plant.

The water needs to be de-radiated in order to prevent further contamination of drinking water in the local area.

The plant's water-treatment facility, which can remove nearly all radioactive nuclides, has been suspended several times due to malfunctions.

The wall will stay in use until 2020 and is expected to use enough electricity every year to power 13,000 households, according to officials.

The plant’s operators, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), have reported that the project is on schedule to be completed by March 2015.

Critics have expressed their doubt that the ice wall will prevent the contaminated water from escaping. Some have argued that sealing off the four reactors is particularly expensive and carries a significant risk - further leaks could potentially result if the plan is unsuccessful.

The process is also using technology that has never been used before – raising fears of unforeseen issues.

Dale Klein, former head of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and a senior adviser to Tepco said, “I’m not convinced the freeze wall is the best option. What I’m concerned about is unintended consequences. Where does that water go and what are the consequences of that? I think they need more testing and more analysis.”

Concerns also surround the plant operators Tepco, who have consistently failed to properly contain the fallout of the nuclear power plants meltdown in 2011, due to a Tsunami.

As the Fukushima Daiichi clean-up enters a critical phase, Tepco is contending with low morale among employees, with approximately 3,000 having quit or taken early retirement since the March 2011 disaster.