BY FILIPPO PEDRETTI
Japan now faces possibly the most devastating blow to its nuclear power industry since the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. On September 14, Chubu Electric’s credibility collapsed with the release of a 250-page independent report exposing data manipulation at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant.
The scandal prompted the resignations of Chief Executive Hayashi and Chairman
Katsuno, and 11 days later, Chubu Electric took an unprecedented step asking the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) to withdraw its restart review applications for Units 3 and 4.
Located within the seismic fault zone of the Nankai Trough, the Hamaoka NPP (Shizuoka Prefecture) has long operated under a cloud of environmental and regulatory risk, earning Hamaoka the unfortunate reputation as Japan’s most vulnerable nuclear installation.
In brief, the damning report said that fears over potential threats from Mother Nature led to excessive corporate pressure on staff to do everything necessary to secure state approval for a potential restart. Zealous staff resorted to dubious practices that mounted into a decade of falsified calculations meant to mislead state regulators.
The repercussions of Chubu Electric’s deception will extend far beyond the downfall of a single utility giant. This scandal’s shockwaves could challenge the foundational assumptions of the role nuclear power can play in Japan’s future energy mix.