Fukushima 1 Nuclear Accident Day 8: Friday, 18 March

01:55
Engineers have begun laying power grid cabling to unit 2. Power to unit 2 will be reconnected once the spraying of water on the unit 3 reactor building ceases.
03:00
The IAEA announce the termperature at the spent fuel pond at reactor 5 is 65.5 °C and the temperature of the spent fuel pond at reactor 6 is 62.0 °C a slight decrease since yeterday at reactor 6 and a slight increase since yesterday at reactor 5
04:33
BBC reports with reference to UN's nuclear watchdog that reactor 2 is connected to power line. It may allow operators to restart Emergency Core Cooling System and Residual Heat Removal pumps for the reactor.
05:30
TEPCO reports that laying of grid cabling to Unit 2 continues. The United States military is using unmanned aerial vehicles to view the reactor.
11:00
The United States is sending water pumps to Japan.
14:00
Water dousing resumes on unit 3 by the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF), rotating with the Tokyo Fire Department (TFD), which is also managing unit 1.
16:00
Status of Fukushima I at 16:00 March 18

Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6
Power output (MWe) 460 784 784 784 784 1100
Type of reactor BWR-3 BWR-4 BWR-4 BWR-4 BWR-4 BWR-5
Status at earthquake In service In service In service Defueled Outage (scheduled) Outage (scheduled)
Fuel integrity 70% damaged 33% damaged Damaged No fuel rods Not damaged Not damaged
Containment integrity Not damaged Damage suspected Might not be damaged Not damaged Not damaged Not damaged
Core cooling system 1 (ECCS/RHR) Not functional Not functional Not functional Not necessary Not necessary Not necessary
Core cooling system 2 (RCIC/MUWC) Not functional Not functional Not functional Not necessary Not necessary Not necessary
Building integrity Severely damaged Slightly damaged Severely damaged Severely damaged Not damaged Not damaged
Pressure vessel, water level Fuel exposed Fuel exposed Fuel exposed Safe Safe Safe
Pressure vessel, pressure Stable Unknown Stable Safe Safe Safe
Containment pressure Unknown Low Low Safe Safe Safe
Seawater injection into core Continuing Continuing Continuing Not necessary Not necessary Not necessary
Seawater injection into containment building Continuing To be decided Continuing Not necessary Not necessary Not necessary
Containment venting Temporarily stopped Temporarily stopped Temporarily stopped Not necessary Not necessary Not necessary
Integrity of fuel in Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) Water injection to be considered (no data) SFP level low,
Water injection continue		 SFP level low,
Preparing water injection,
Hydrogen from SFP exposed		 SFP temperature increasing, 65.5 °C SFP temperature decreasing, 62.0 °C
Environmental effect (NPS border) 271 µSv/hour at 7:30 p.m., March 18
Evacuation radius 20 km from Nuclear Power Station (NPS). People who live between 20 km to 30 km from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Station are to stay indoors.
INES Level 5 (estimated by Japanese NISA and accepted by the international IAEA); Level 6 (estimated by the French Nuclear Safety Authority, ASN and the Finnish nuclear authorities)
18:40
IAEA raises INES level from 4 to 5. Radiation reading 1km from reactor #2 - 292.2 µSv/hour
22:00
A plume model shows that the movement of the radioactive material is primarily across the ocean.

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