Two large players in Europe’s nuclear power industry have sent emergency supplies and specialized equipment to Japan.
Following a magnitude 9 earthquake a week ago, operators have struggled with accidents at multiple reactors within Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. In response, Areva chartered a plane to deliver 100 tons of neutron-absorbing boric acid to Japan, as well as 3,000 activated charcoal masks, 10,000 overalls and 20,000 gloves, the French company said in a release. The boric acid was made available by partner firm EDF.
French rescue workers dispatched to Japan earlier this week took with them radioactivity detection equipment provided by Canberra, an Areva subsidiary.
Areva Group will donate 1 million euros to the Japanese Red Cross, and German firm Siemens also announced it will conduct a similar-sized fundraising campaign for victims of the earthquake.
According to a company release, Siemens also is providing 2 million euros in on-site equipment that includes mobile ultrasound devices and water purification systems.