Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater discharge tops 130,000 tonnes

The 17th round of ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was completed on Monday, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said.

Despite concerns and opposition from the international community, Japan unilaterally launched the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the plant into the ocean in August 2023. As of the completion of the 17th round, the cumulative volume released has reached about 133,000 tonnes.

The latest discharge began on December 4. The operation was temporarily suspended after a powerful earthquake struck off Aomori Prefecture on December 8, and was resumed on December 9. A total of 7,833 tonnes of wastewater had been released during this round, containing approximately 2.4 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium, according to TEPCO. 

TEPCO's data showed that in fiscal 2025, running from April 2025 to March 2026, the company plans to carry out seven rounds of discharge, with a total volume of about 54,600 tonnes.

(Cover: Tanks of ALPS treated water at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant, Fukushima Prefecture, August 19, 2025. /VCG)