POWER June 2011 - 9

3. Artificial intelligence. TEPCO in April began using PackBots
to assess damage and monitor temperatures, radiation levels, and oxygen
inside the crippled Fukushima Daiichi units. The PackBot seen here
(in black) working inside the reactor building at Unit 3 on April 17, has
on-board lights and cameras and is able to move through buildings,
opening doors with a mechanized arm. Courtesy: TEPCO
reactors for safety checks and ditching concerted efforts to keep
nuclear power plants open in the long term. In mid-April, Chancellor
Angela Merkel told reporters that leaders of Germany's 16
states all want to " exit nuclear energy as soon as possible and
make the switch to supplying via renewable energy. " The policy
reversal has incited ardent opposition from the energy sector and
industry.
Germany generates some 23% of its power from nuclear sources,
and if the country decides to shut down power from nuclear
reactors no later than 2022, it will suffer a supply squeeze.
In April, ministers agreed to set down the main points of the
country's new energy policy by June. Industry analysts say the
accelerated exit from nuclear power means that Germany could
implement a €5 billion ($7.42 billion) credit program to support
renewables and build new gas and coal plants. Germany already
has one of the most aggressive clean energy policies in the world
and sources 17% of its power from renewables. The nation is
looking to raise that share to 40% by 2020.
The 2022 deadline for nuclear power had been set in 2000
caused by the heat load from its 1,331 fuel assemblies. Worries
are also mounting about the structural integrity of the building
and its ability to support the pond.
Radiation at various locations at the nuclear plant continues
to surge. The highest doses have been detected from debris left
on the ground after explosions at Units 1, 2, 3, and 4. Readings
of rubble beside Unit 3 have surged to 300 millisieverts per
hour, while others are at around 40 millisieverts per hour. Highly
contaminated water continues to be another pressing concern.
TEPCO has yet to decide how to process massive amounts of radioactive
water being pumped from the basement of Unit 2's
turbine building.
Meanwhile, TEPCO has begun using a PackBot-a small robot
on tank-like treads-to monitor radiation and oxygen levels at
the units. Of four PackBots in use, two are equipped to take temperature
readings and two are " Warriors, " serving to lift and haul
heavy loads (Figure 3).
The accident continues to cause financial worries for TEPCO,
Asia's largest utility, whose shares have slumped nearly 80%
since the incident began on March 11. As the utility braces for a
massive bill to compensate local residents, three banks that last
month made a total of 1.4 trillion yen in emergency loans to the
beleaguered company booked a combined loss of 160 billion yen
at the end of Japan's financial year on March 31. A rough draft of
TEPCO's compensation plan has shown that the government could
cap the utility's liability at 2 trillion yen to 3.8 trillion yen. Other
utilities that operate nuclear plants may be asked to contribute
to the fund, which could ultimately add up to 2.7 trillion yen.
Among newer developments, Japanese authorities plan to
launch an independent panel in mid-May to investigate the
causes of the accident at Daiichi. Prime Minister Naoto Kan told
a plenary session at the House of Representatives that the lessons
would be shared with the international community and that
Japan would " take the lead in contributing to safety improvements
of nuclear plants around the world. "
Germany Considers Accelerated Nuclear
Exit on Fukushima Worries
In the wake of the devastating nuclear crisis afflicting the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, Germany has embarked
on an abrupt shift away from nuclear power, shutting down eight
June 2011 | POWER
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by the former center-left government led by Chancellor Gerhard
Schröder. In September last year, Merkel's government struck a
deal with energy companies to extend the lives of the country's
17 nuclear power plants, located in five of Germany's federal
states, for another 12 years beyond 2022.
Skyrocketing Power Costs. The plan to exit nuclear power so
quickly could prove costly, because Germany is Europe's biggest
economy and largest energy user. According to a study commissioned
by the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie, a German
industry lobby, permanently shutting down eight reactors that
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