Investigating Chubu Electric fraud case ‘will take some time,’ NRA chief says

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) is taking its time to investigate allegations of data fraud by Chubu Electric Power, according to NRA Chair Shinsuke Yamanaka. "It will take some time," Yamanaka stated, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination before deciding on appropriate measures. This comes after Chubu Electric submitted a report on the misconduct, which prompted the NRA to take further actions.

The secretariat of the NRA plans to review how the company handled a whistleblower report concerning the data fraud associated with the Hamaoka nuclear power plant. The investigation centers on the suspicion that Chubu Electric underestimated potential earthquake ground motion in the data submitted for regulatory screenings necessary to restart reactors No. 3 and No. 4 at the Hamaoka plant in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The investigative committee report reveals that Chubu Electric had to incorporate additional fault considerations in its ground motion calculations for NRA reviews, leading to data that exceeded assumed levels and were unfavorable for the company. Consequently, the company allegedly manipulated the data by selecting only favorable information.

The misconduct was driven by the desire to prevent hindrances to the goal of restarting the plant, as stated in the report. Chubu Electric sought justification for its actions while growing increasingly dissatisfied with the regulatory screenings.