Japanese company TEPCO has taken the first step towards decommissioning the Fukushima reactors that were damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The utility company has begun removing fuel rods from the storage pool in reactor #3, but the process will be challenging and time-consuming. Removal of the fuel rods from the reactor is expected to take around two years, and the decommissioning of the Fukushima complex may take 40 years or more to complete.
Previous efforts to remove the fuel rods were delayed due to equipment malfunctions and ongoing elevated levels of radiation. However, fuel rods in Reactor #4, which did not melt down in 2011, were removed in 2014.
