The LongOps Project is a collaboration between UK and Japan. Under the operation, the scientists from Japan and UK will develop new and safe technologies to dismantle old nuclear facilities such as the Fukushima that were severely damaged by tsunamis and earthquakes.
About LongOps Project
- The project is to use long-reach robotic arms and hence is called “LongOps Project”. The project will reduce the risks to human health and will speed up decommissioning of nuclear reactors that are non-operational.
- The LongOps project is to be implemented at a cost of 12 million Euros (Rs 120 crores).
- It will focus on fast decommissioning of nuclear sites.
- Apart from dismantling nuclear fission sites, the project will also focus on automating parts of nuclear fusion power generation process.
- The project will also help to improve and dismantle nuclear fusion facilities such as the Joint European Torus. Joint European Torus is a nuclear fusion experiment located in Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, UK. It was the first reactor to run on the production fuel of 50-50 mix of tritium and deuterium. It was shut down in 2009 to adopt concepts used in ITER project.
ITER Project
ITER is International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. India is also a part of ITER. The other countries involved in ITER are China, Russia, Japan, European Union, US and South Korea.
Digital Twin Technology
Digital Twin Technology is a part of the LongOps Project. It will analyze data from decommissioning sites and predict operational and maintenance challenges.
Disasters
- In Sellafield more than twenty-one serious incidents of radiological releases occurred between 1950 and 2000. Sellafield is located in United Kingdom. It is a former nuclear power generating site. As of August 2020, the activities in the site includes nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear decommissioning and nuclear waste storage.
- In 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi reactors were severely damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The incident displaced more than 150,000 people. Also, the flora and fauna in the surrounding areas were severely contaminated.