TOKYO: The fourth and last release in fiscal 2023 of tritium-containing treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the sea will start Wednesday morning, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. has said.

In the fourth round through March 17, TEPCO will discharge about 7,800 tons of the treated water from 1 kilometer off the coast through an undersea tunnel after diluting it with seawater. The amount is the same as the previous three rounds.

A total of about 23,400 tons of the treated water has been released into the sea in the previous three rounds since August 2023.

TEPCO plans to release a total of about 54,600 tons in seven rounds in fiscal 2024, which starts in April.

The company and others continue to monitor tritium levels in seawater and fishery products, which have so far been well below government-set standards.

JIJI Press