At his first press conference since taking office, Chubu Electric Power President Yasui Minoru (安井稔) emphasized the need for management reform following irregularities in seismic data for Units 3 and 4 of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant. He indicated plans to change management’s mindset and recalculate the standard seismic ground motion after the guidelines are completed.
Chubu Electric Power President Yasui Minoru (安井稔) held his first press conference since taking office in Nagoya and expressed a sense of crisis over the seismic data irregularities. He said that management’s mindset must change in order to maintain not only the nuclear energy business but also the company’s overall operations.
The irregularities concerned standard seismic ground motion data for the nuclear power plant. A published investigation report pointed out that they were caused by an internal theory used to justify the data. Yasui Minoru (安井稔) said the company’s commitment to prioritizing compliance and safety must be firmly established.
The Nuclear Energy Council has indicated that it plans to prepare guidelines establishing standard seismic ground motion by the end of the fiscal year. Yasui Minoru (安井稔) disclosed plans to recalculate the standard seismic ground motion for Units 3 and 4 after the guidelines are completed, and said that an application to restart the units would be considered thereafter.
As measures to prevent recurrence, he cited the use of external assessments and human resources, and indicated an intention to recruit a director responsible for organizational culture reform from outside the company. Regarding the vacant chairperson position, he said the company would consider appointing someone from outside the company.