TEPCO TO FORM NEW INTERNAL FUKUSHIMA DECOMMISSIONING COMPANY

Jeremy L. Dillon
RW Monitor
1/10/2014

The Tokyo Electric Power Company has announced it will form a new internal company responsible for the decommissioning of the Units 5 and 6 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The main objectives of creating the new organization, which will begin operations in April 2014, is to better plan and organize what needs to be done for these units. According to a release from TEPCO, “The company will fundamentally review reporting lines and decision-making processes in such areas as measures against contaminated water outflow into the port and contaminated water leakage from the tanks. In order to perform the decommissioning work in a steadfast manner, the company will create a structure whereby it may pro-actively use the expertise of both internal and external experts,” TEPCO said.

The announcement also included assurances that the new company would be seeking external advice on the decommissioning, including following guidance from the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning, an organization founded by the Japanese government in an effort to seek international expertise in decommissioning. Although TEPCO said it would seek external help, no plans have been made yet. “At the present moment, detailed business plan including international procurement have not been decided yet,” TEPCO spokesman Tomomi Akita said this week.