Allegations that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) falsified reports about problems discovered at its nuclear plants exposes dangers inherent in Taiwan's Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, Taiwanese anti-nuclear activists said yesterday.
Activists are worried about the close links between Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), which owns the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, and TEPCO.
"Due to past exchanges and technology transfers between the two power companies, we cannot help but question Taipower's corporate culture, which is influenced by TEPCO," said Lai Wei-chieh (
When the 8th No Nuclear Asia Forum (非核亞洲論壇) was held two years ago in Japan, Lai and other participants visited a nuclear power plant in Kashiwazaki, which houses the world's only operational advanced boiling water reactors. Several incidents caused by the flawed design of the reactors have been reported at the plant, according to Japanese activists.
The Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Taiwan will be the second facility to contain such reactors. The plant is scheduled to open on July 1, 2006.
Lai said that activists learned during their visit to Kashiwazaki that its operator, TEPCO, had close relations with Taipower due to work being done on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. Activists said that TEPCO trained some of Taipower's staff in operating procedures at the Kashiwazaki plant.
A spokesman for Taipower told the Taipei Times yesterday, however, that no Taipower staff had been sent to TEPCO for formal training.
"It's gone too far. Activists should not have linked Taipower with the TEPCO scandal," said Huang Hui-yu (黃惠予), the head of Taipower's public affairs department.
She added that the company maintains relations with major power utilities in other countries such as Japan, South Korea and the US.
Through international networks, such as the World Association of Nuclear Operators, Taipower can gain experience and learn lessons from other members, including TEPCO, Huang said.
TEPCO is suspected of violating Japan's Electric Utility Law by failing to replace crucial parts, known as core shrouds, for the cooling systems of five reactors at its two plants in Fukushima Prefecture in the 1990s, despite having known about cracks in them.
According to the Kyodo news agency, TEPCO started checking on Tuesday for cracks in the core shroud of a reactor at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The inspection was the first to be undertaken by TEPCO since last month, when Japan's biggest power utility became embroiled in allegations that it concealed damage at its reactors in Fukushima and Niigata prefectures.
On Aug. 30, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi slammed TEPCO for allegedly falsifying reports on problems discovered at its nuclear plants.
As Taiwanese anti-nuclear activists prepare for the 10th No Nuclear Asia Forum in Taipei this Saturday, comparisons between TEPCO and Taipower seem destined to dominate the event.
According to the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, 13 out of 52 reactors in Japan have been shut down due to the TEPCO scandal.
Protection union activists said the Japanese companies Hitachi and Toshiba, which have been implicated in the TEPCO scandal, have been subcontracted to build the advanced boiling water reactors to be installed at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
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