Chubu Electric Formally Withdraws Regulatory Applications for Hamaoka Units 3 and 4

Chubu Electric Power Co. on 25 September formally submitted to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) the withdrawal of its applications for permission to amend the reactor installation licenses for Hamaoka Units 3 and 4 (BWRs, 1,100 MWe and 1,137 MWe, respectively) under the country's new regulatory requirements. The company also withdrew its applications for approval of the construction plan and amendments to the operational safety program for Unit 4 under the new regulatory requirements.

The company had already decided to withdraw the applications at an extraordinary meeting of its Board of Directors on 14 September, following the findings of an investigation committee comprising external experts into misconduct related to the evaluation of the design basis seismic ground motion. Chubu Electric concluded that, in light of the committee's investigation report, it would not be appropriate to maintain the existing applications.

Chubu Electric again apologised for the misconduct and said it would undertake management reforms aimed at fundamentally restructuring its governance and corporate culture to ensure that a similar incident never occurs again. The reforms will focus on three pillars: transforming awareness and behaviour, reforming corporate culture, and reforming and strengthening governance and internal checks and balances.