Japan Press Weekly

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2011 August 3 - 16 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Gov’t, utilities, and corporations jointly push ahead with NPP export

A corporation was established in 2010 to sell nuclear reactors abroad. Even after the Fukushima accident, the sales corporation still functions.

The International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan Co., Ltd (JINED) was founded on October 22, 2010 and won a Vietnamese order to build nuclear power facilities in Ninh Thuan province.

The president of JINED is Takekuro Ichiro, a fellow of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), who, as a liaison with TEPCO and the government, joined the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office to decide pouring marine water into the Number 1 reactor of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant on March 12.

In June 2010, the METI, three utilities -- TEPCO, Chubu Electric Power Company and Kansai Electiric Power Company (KEPCO), and the three leading nuclear equipment suppliers – Toshiba Corporation, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industry formed a commission to win the nuclear power plant project contract in Vietnam. In August, Takekuro and other executives of these utilities and corporations, as well as former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Naoshima Masayuki, visited Vietnam, followed by Prime Minister Kan Naoto in October to obtain the Vietnamese order in October.

JIEND is capitalized at 100 million yen. TEPCO, KEPCO and seven other utilities share 75% of JIED capital, each of the three NPP makers 5%, and Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) 10%. The government shares 90% of INCJ capital.

The nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant has proved that nuclear power generation is intrinsically flawed and hazardous technology. However, the government has not changed its NPP export policy.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano Yukio said in a House of Councilors budget committee meeting on July 21 affirmed that the government will continue promoting NPP export to Vietnam, stating, “We must firmly honor our promises.”

However, no environmental assessment is being made in regard to a possible accident at a NPP is sold to other countries. Doubts regarding Japan’s NPP sales abroad have now arisen.