Unit 2 Fuel Debris Trial Retrieval Begins — First Ever in History

On September 10, 2024, TEPCO began the world's first retrieval of actual melted nuclear fuel debris from a damaged reactor, using a modified telescoping robotic arm at Unit 2. After multiple delays (originally planned for 2021, pushed to 2022, 2023, then 2024), the trial operation successfully recovered approximately 0.9 grams of debris as a proof-of-concept. A second attempt in April 2025 recovered multiple small pieces totalling under 3 grams. The debris is being analyzed to characterize the corium's physical and chemical properties — essential data for planning full-scale removal of the estimated ~880 tonnes remaining in Units 1–3. Unit 3 full-scale removal has been pushed to FY 2037 at earliest.