Scheduled to begin the construction in June 2014, the ice wall will help to reduce the build-up of radioactive water.
In order to stem the inflow of groundwater, the company will circulate a special refrigerant through pipes in the soil to create the 1.5km perimeter, according to Agence France Presse (AFP).
The wall will protect the plant’s coolant water from being mixed and becoming contaminated from groundwater which flow from nearby hillsides.
On condition of anonymity, one official said, "We had some concerns, including the possibility that part of the ground could sink."
Xinhua quoted NRA Commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa as saying, "I think we have been able to confirm today the scale of ground sinking, which is what we have most feared as side effects of building the wall."
The government has allocated around JPY32bn ($5.1bn) for the construction of the ice wall, including JPY14bn ($2.2) from reserve funds under the fiscal 2013 budget while the project is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of March 2015.
