MOSCOW (Bernama-Sputnik): The operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), has launched the fifth round of treated water release from the facility that is scheduled to run until May 7, Sputnik quoted Japanese news agency Kyodo report on Friday.
As part of the fifth round of water discharge, TEPCO plans to release 7,800 tonnes of treated water into the sea, while in the new fiscal year, a total of over 54,000 tonnes of water would be released, the report said.
The water's radioactivity levels meet the standards set by the Japanese government and international organisations, Kyodo reported.
The fourth round of water discharge ended on March 16.
Japan started releasing part of the estimated 1.34 million tonnes of Fukushima NPP treated water into the ocean in August 2023 despite an outcry from neighbouring countries and local fishermen.
In total, more than 31,000 tonnes of mildly radioactive water was released during the 2023 fiscal year, which ended on March 31, 2024.
The entire process is expected to take at least 30 years. - Bernama-Sputnik
