TOKYO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Japan on Friday began the 18th discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.

The discharge operation, which started Friday morning, will continue for 19 days until March 24, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

About 7,800 tons of wastewater will be discharged, containing around 2 trillion becquerels of tritium, TEPCO said.

The utility plans to discharge a total of 62,400 tons of contaminated water in eight rounds in fiscal 2026, which contains approximately 11 trillion becquerels of tritium.

Hit by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.

Despite opposition from local fishermen, residents and the international community, ocean discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water began in August 2023. The 17th round of discharge was completed in December 2025. So far, approximately 133,000 tons of wastewater have been released. ■