Subsidy and Contracting Suspensions for Chubu Electric
Overview
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry imposed suspensions on Chubu Electric Power Co., Ltd. covering subsidies and contract nominations from November 6, 2026, through February 5, 2027. In connection with setting the design-basis seismic motion for Units 3 and 4 at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, the company created supporting data after the fact as evidence for a representative-wave selection method it had not actually used, presented some of that data at a review meeting, and gave explanations that differed from the actual situation. The ministry imposed the measures under its applicable guidelines.
Key points
- The measures apply to Chubu Electric Power Co., Ltd.
- The suspension period runs from November 6, 2026, through February 5, 2027.
- During review of the design-basis seismic motion, the company created supporting data after the fact concerning representative-wave selection and gave explanations that differed from the actual situation.
- The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry imposed the suspensions under its applicable guidelines.
Overview
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that it had imposed subsidy-related suspensions and a suspension of contract nominations on the business concerned.
The case arose during the review of compliance with new regulatory requirements concerning the design-basis seismic motion for Units 3 and 4 at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, including the method for selecting representative waves in seismic-motion assessments.
Impact
The source states that repeated improper conduct in setting the design-basis seismic motion, which underpins safety assessments in the regulatory process, undermines public trust in safety, a fundamental prerequisite for the use of nuclear power.
Details
The company created supporting data after the fact to serve as evidence for a representative-wave selection method it had not actually used, presented some of it at a Nuclear Regulation Authority review meeting on compliance, and gave explanations that differed from the actual situation. It also created supporting data after the fact in response to inquiries from the Nuclear Regulation Authority Secretariat.
Representative waves were reportedly set using subjective methods rather than quantitative criteria, and false explanations were also given. The measures were based on Article 3, Paragraph 1, and Item 6 of Appended Table II of the Guidelines for Suspension of Subsidy Payments and Other Measures and Suspension of Contract Nominations under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.