Chubu Electric Power rewrites decommissioning documents for Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, 4 new cases found, bringing the total to 18

On the 25th, Chubu Electric Power announced that four new cases of inappropriate rewriting of construction documents related to Units 1 and 2 during decommissioning work at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant (Shizuoka Prefecture) were discovered, bringing the total to 18. In order to make it appear that things were progressing according to plan, they made reports that differed from actual results. An investigation will continue to determine the extent to which costs were overcharged.

The inappropriate procedures surrounding the decommissioning of the reactor were discovered in late August. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry requested an investigation into the facts and causes, and Chubu Electric Power made a report on the same day.

According to the report, 18 construction reports that Chubu Electric submitted to the Spent Fuel Reprocessing and Decommissioning Organization (NuRO) as evidence of decommissioning costs in fiscal 2024 were rewritten. Although no changes were made, there were some documents that did not match Chubu Electric's internal data, and there was a possibility that expenses were fraudulently claimed in a total of eight cases.

According to Chubu Electric, six people were involved in the rewriting. In addition to adding seal impressions that were not filled in, they also reported information that differed from actual results in order to make it appear that the construction was progressing as planned. During the plan formulation stage, NuRO received many points, and the idea was that ``if things don't go as planned, we will lose credibility and it will be difficult to receive payments.'' There was also a ``feeling that they couldn't go against the officials'' who ordered the rewriting.

The group that is the contractor for the construction...