Published: 15:38, August 27, 2026
Japanese utility distorted nuclear plant decommissioning data
By Bloomberg

In this Nov 28, 2018, file photo, workers dismantle the Unit 2 reactor at Chubu Electric Power Co's Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka prefecture. (PHOTO/KYODO NEWS VIA AP)

Chubu Electric Power Co altered construction reports related to the decommissioning of two Japanese reactors, threatening to further erode public trust in the nation’s attempts to restart its nuclear power fleet.

Figures for demolition volume and equipment for reactors 1 and 2 at the Hamaoka facility were different from actual numbers, and the company will investigate how much it billed Japan’s nuclear decommissioning agency, Chubu said on Thursday.

The two units at the plant were permanently shut in 2009, while the company is seeking to restart the remaining three reactors after they were halted following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Chubu Electric said the matter doesn’t directly affect the safety of the nuclear power plant and that decommissioning will proceed as planned. The company in January said that it was probing incorrect seismic safety data for units 3 and 4 at Hamaoka.

Nikkei first reported the issues with the decommissioning procedures. The utility’s shares fell as much as 2.5 percent in Tokyo.