Chubu Electric Power withdraws review application for Hamaoka nuclear power plant, president Hayashi says he will work on reapplying

Chubu Electric Power President Shingo Hayashi held a press conference in Nagoya on the 14th. With a grim expression on his face, he announced that he had withdrawn his application for a review of the restart of Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4. On the other hand, he emphasized, ``We will never give up and will move forward with our efforts to reapply,'' making it clear that we will continue to maintain the nuclear power plant.

``Management rebukes delay in review'' as a factor behind inappropriate behavior of personnel in charge - report on Hamaoka nuclear power plant fraud - Chubu Electric Power Co., Ltd.

At the press conference, which began at 2:00 p.m., he began by apologizing for the misconduct at the nuclear power plant and bowing deeply. They continued to express their remorse, saying, ``We were unable to create an organizational culture that prioritized compliance,'' and ``As a nuclear operator, this should not have happened, and I am thinking about it very deeply.''

However, when asked about the future of the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, he became more assertive and asserted, ``The necessity and importance of nuclear power plants will not change in any way.'' ``The best thing to do is to withdraw everything, review the company's structure, and reapply,'' he argued. When asked if he would not consider decommissioning the reactor from the perspective of business rationality, he replied, "I think it's too early."

Chairman Tetsu Katsuno also attended the press conference, which lasted about three and a half hours. Regarding the fraud, he said, ``(It was a time when) I was in the central position of management as vice president and president.I recognize that I bear an extremely heavy responsibility for not being able to prevent it.''