“Toshiba has developed a remote controlled robot to remove the radiological substances at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant using dry ice shot blast. It plans to start removing the substances this summer using the robot.

This robot has a 2 vehicle consist, composed of a head car carrying a dry ice spraying facility and a suction facility. It is coupled to a supplementary vehicle which carries the air compressor. Toshiba undertook the development of the entire facility, combining facilities with various functions and which were available on the open market, as well as components developed in house.

According to a spokesperson from Toshiba, “This facility sprays tiny grains of dry ice onto the targeted radiological substances. These substances on the surface are detached through the impact of the dry ice and the energy of evaporation. The sprayed dry ice is recovered with a recovery and a separation unit.” Regarding the utilization of the facility from now on, he went on to say, “Basically this facility presumes usage inside buildings. It is used for the purpose of alleviating the radiological environment of facilities such as the facility which investigates the areas of water leakage which floods the primary containment vessel (PCV) in the nuclear reactor container, and facility which examines the status and position of the debris in the PCV.””