Latest news with #TEPCO
Japan Forward
12-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Forward
Acquittal of TEPCO Executives Not to Encourage Complacency
このページを 日本語 で読む Tokyo's High Court has dismissed the claims of shareholders in a lawsuit they filed seeking compensation from former senior managers of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). Plaintiffs had argued that senior executives were responsible for the 2011 major accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The accident followed the massive March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. A lower court ordered four former executives to pay more than ¥13 trillion JPY ($89.5 billion USD) in damages. But the High Court overturned that ruling and did not recognize any legal liability on the part of the former executives. That was the correct decision. TEPCO management's response to the "long-term assessment" was the main point of argument. That report was published by the government's Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion in 2002. Based on this assessment, a subsidiary of TEPCO estimated that a tsunami of up to 15.7 meters could reach the nuclear power plant. From this, the shareholders argued that the former executives knew about the possibility of a massive tsunami but failed to implement adequate safety measures. Decommissioning work is shown at Unit 1 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. In response, the Tokyo High Court ruled that to prevent any possibility of an accident, the nuclear plant would have had to be shut down and construction of tsunami countermeasures ordered. However, the long-term assessment in and of itself was insufficient as a basis for issuing such an order. The court concluded that the former executives' lack of a sense of urgency about the risk of a tsunami was only to be expected. Electric power companies are legally obligated to supply electricity. Unless the long-term assessment had sufficient credibility based on clear evidence, it would have been difficult to stop operations. Consequently, the court concluded it was difficult to hold the former management team legally responsible for the disaster. This latest ruling is in line with a previous Supreme Court decision concerning a related criminal trial. A lay prosecution committee had indicted the former TEPCO executives on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury. In its March 2025 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the former executives were innocent. The court declared that the "opinion of the long-term assessment cannot be said to have been information of a nature that would lead people to recognize the realistic possibility of a tsunami attack." Therefore, the Tokyo High Court ruled that the former TEPCO executives were innocent of the charges. Moreover, the ¥13 trillion in compensation ordered by the first trial court is an astronomical amount. It exceeds the ability of individuals to pay and is totally unrealistic. A massive tsunami hits Northeast Japan following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake . Nevertheless, power companies that own nuclear power plants must be aware of their heavy responsibility to prevent accidents. They have a duty to make every effort to implement safety measures. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident was a radioactive disaster unprecedented anywhere in the world. Multiple reactors were simultaneously damaged. At the height of the crisis, around 160,000 people were evacuated, and residents of nearby areas suffered various forms of severe damage. For a resource-poor country like Japan, nuclear power is a core power source essential for our energy security. But if we are to make effective use of nuclear power, it is necessary to nip risks in the bud by implementing thorough safety measures. Electric power companies should always keep this point uppermost in mind. Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Japan Today
11-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
TEPCO tweaks plan to restart reactors at Niigata nuclear plant
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc, whose nuclear reactors have remained offline since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, plans to revise its strategy for restarting reactors in central Japan, sources familiar with the matter said. TEPCO is now preparing to restart the No. 6 unit of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, one of the world's largest nuclear power plants by output capacity, aiming to finish preparations in August, they said. The company had previously planned to restart the No. 7 reactor even though the unit will have to be halted in October to implement anti-terrorism safety measures. TEPCO expected the No. 7 reactor's operation would help meet an expected rise in power demand during summer. The change in plans comes as the company's prospects for gaining local consent to resume operation of the plant on the Sea of Japan coast remain uncertain, according to the sources. Niigata Gov Hideyo Hanazumi has yet to consent to the plant's operation, pending a series of public hearings on the matter this summer. TEPCO began loading nuclear fuel into the No. 6 reactor on Tuesday, the sources said. Taking steps to protect nuclear plants from terrorist attacks became mandatory under the stricter safety standards implemented by the Nuclear Regulation Authority after the nuclear disaster at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi plant triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. TEPCO aims to complete anti-terrorism measures for the No. 7 unit by August 2029. As for the No. 6 reactor, TEPCO has until September 2029 to implement these measures, and it can continue operating until that time, pending local approval. The utility and the government had planned to have at least one unit in operation at the complex from summer to meet rising electricity demand and lower dependence on fossil fuel power generation. The Nuclear Regulation Authority imposed a de facto ban on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in 2021 after it was found to be vulnerable to unauthorized entry at multiple locations, but the authority lifted the ban after security measures were improved. © KYODO
Asahi Shimbun
11-06-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
TEPCO begins loading fuel into second Niigata nuclear reactor
From left: The No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc. began loading a second reactor with fuel at its nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, which may become its first reactor to be reactivated after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. The work started at the No. 6 reactor of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant around 1 p.m. on June 10 following the Nuclear Regulation Authority's approval at 11 a.m. the same day. It will take about two weeks to complete loading 872 fuel assemblies. When the necessary inspections are cleared, the reactor can be restarted anytime, at least technically. However, it remains unclear whether the utility can obtain consent from the local communities. 'To win the trust of the host communities, it is important to show that we are safely making technical preparations,' TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa said of the fuel loading at a news conference in May. TEPCO has sought to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant to rebuild its operations following a triple meltdown at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. The company estimates that it can boost its annual earnings by 100 billion yen ($691 million) if a reactor is brought back online because fuel costs for thermal power plants will decline. The seven-reactor Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, which has been shut down since the 2011 accident, is TECPO's only nuclear power plant as it decided to decommission the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants. The utility has aimed to first reactivate the No. 7 reactor, the newest of the seven, as early as this summer. It was loaded with fuel in April last year. However, Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi has not disclosed whether he will support the restart, saying he needs to hear the opinions of prefectural residents, including mayors of municipalities. In addition, TEPCO in February postponed the completion date of an anti-terrorism facility for the reactor, a requirement for its restart, until August 2029—long past the NRA deadline of October. An anti-terrorism facility for the No. 6 reactor has not been completed, either. But TEPCO can provisionally operate the reactor until September 2029, the NRA deadline for its anti-terrorism facility, if it gains consent from the local communities. 'There is a high likelihood that the No. 6 reactor will be brought back online first,' an industry ministry official said. It now appears that TEPCO will seek to restart the No. 6 reactor after gaining consent from the local communities and reactivate the No. 7 reactor once its anti-terrorism facility is built in August 2029. The No. 6 reactor would be shut down in September that year but could be restarted again if the utility completes its anti-terrorism facility in September 2031 in accordance with its revised schedule. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, which straddles Kashiwazaki city and Kariwa village, is one of the world's largest nuclear power plants with a total power generating capacity of 8.21 million kilowatts. The No. 6 and No. 7 reactors started commercial operations in November 1996 and July 1997, respectively. Both are advanced boiling water reactors, each capable of generating 1.35 million kilowatts. The remaining five reactors, which started commercial operations between 1985 and 1994, are all conventional boiling water reactors capable of generating 1.1 million kilowatts individually.
The Mainichi
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
TEPCO tweaks plan to restart reactors at central Japan nuclear plant
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., whose nuclear reactors have remained offline since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, plans to revise its strategy for restarting reactors in central Japan, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. TEPCO is now preparing to restart the No. 6 unit of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, one of the world's largest nuclear power plants by output capacity, aiming to finish preparations in August, they said. The company had previously planned to restart the No. 7 reactor even though the unit will have to be halted in October to implement anti-terrorism safety measures. TEPCO expected the No. 7 reactor's operation would help meet an expected rise in power demand during summer. The change in plans comes as the company's prospects for gaining local consent to resume operation of the plant on the Sea of Japan coast remain uncertain, according to the sources. Niigata Gov. Hideyo Hanazumi has yet to consent to the plant's operation, pending a series of public hearings on the matter this summer. TEPCO began loading nuclear fuel into the No. 6 reactor on Tuesday, the sources said. Taking steps to protect nuclear plants from terrorist attacks became mandatory under the stricter safety standards implemented by the Nuclear Regulation Authority after the nuclear disaster at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi plant triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. TEPCO aims to complete anti-terrorism measures for the No. 7 unit by August 2029. As for the No. 6 reactor, TEPCO has until September 2029 to implement these measures, and it can continue operating until that time, pending local approval. The utility and the government had planned to have at least one unit in operation at the complex from summer to meet rising electricity demand and lower dependence on fossil fuel power generation. The Nuclear Regulation Authority imposed a de facto ban on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in 2021 after it was found to be vulnerable to unauthorized entry at multiple locations, but the authority lifted the ban after security measures were improved.
The Mainichi
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Editorial: TEPCO can't evade social responsibility over Fukushima nuclear disaster
The Tokyo High Court has overturned a lower court ruling that held former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO) liable for damages over the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, reversing an order for four executives to pay over 13 trillion yen (around $89.56 billion) to the company. Unless accountability for the disaster is clearly established, concerns about operating nuclear power plants in an earthquake-prone country like Japan cannot be dispelled. The lawsuit was filed by shareholders of the company questioning the managerial responsibility of the executives. The point of contention was whether the tsunami that caused the accident could have been anticipated. Nine years before the disaster, the government released a long-term assessment mentioning the possibility of an earthquake that could generate a massive tsunami occurring. Based on this evaluation, TEPCO's own estimates predicted a tsunami greatly exceeding the height of the plant grounds. The former managers, however, decided to verify the evaluation again with external experts, and postponed countermeasures. The high court pointed out that the long-term assessment did not provide sufficient evidence and that there were differing opinions on the matter. It said that the only way to prevent the accident would have been to shut down the nuclear power plant, and that the lack of such a sense of urgency among executives couldn't be helped. It accordingly concluded that they did not neglect their responsibilities as directors. This decision overturned a lower court ruling which had found the long-term assessment to be reliable and acknowledged that officials could have foreseen the tsunami. In a criminal trial of the former executives, the Supreme Court adopted the same line of thinking as that seen in the latest decision, and its ruling finding them not guilty was finalized. However, once an accident occurs at a nuclear power plant, radioactive materials can spread over a wide area, causing enormous damage. The management of the operating power company must take all necessary measures to prevent such an event. The high court added a supplementary opinion stating that if a nuclear accident were to occur now, given the experience of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the directors would bear a heavier responsibility. Nevertheless, officials must have known before the disaster that it is difficult to accurately predict a tsunami. Surely it is the responsibility of management to anticipate all risks and implement safer measures. Doubts remain about the high court's conclusion. Fourteen years have passed since the nuclear disaster, but difficult-to-return zones remain in place, and many people continue to live as evacuees. There are no clear prospects for the decommissioning of the plant's reactors, and the final disposal site for soil removed during decontamination has not been decided. TEPCO should face these issues head-on. Even if criminal and civil liabilities are avoided, the company cannot dodge its social responsibility for destroying people's lives and their hometowns.
