Work on cooling nuclear reactors is facing difficulties at 2 power plants in quake-hit Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.
At the Fukushima Number One Power Plant, both the number one reactor, and the number two reactor's emergency generators broke down, making it difficult to pump water into the reactors. That allowed temperatures in the reactors to rise.
Pressure inside the containment vessel of the reactors also remains higher than normal.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, the plants' operator, tried to restore depressurizing equipment using a mobile generator. But the plan failed as the equipment had already been damaged by tsunami waves.
At the Number Two Plant, cooling water temperatures in its 3 reactors remain at 100 degrees Celsius--more than 3-times higher than the normal operating temperature.
The utility is considering other options to restore failed cooling systems for these reactors.
On Saturday, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said 2 radioactive substances, cesium and iodine, had been detected near the Number One reactor at the Number One power plant. This indicates nuclear fission of uranium fuel. The agency announced some fuel in the reactor had partially melted. Sea water is being used to try to cool that reactor.
The electric company is not sure how soon it will be able to completely halt the reactors at the 2 power stations.
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