Nine reactors in Japan use products manufactured by steel maker that admitted faking quality data

Nine reactors at five nuclear power plants in Japan, including some currently in operation, have used products manufactured by the Kobe Steel Ltd. group which has admitted fabricating product quality data, it has been learned.

According to documents shown at a meeting of the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday, the active reactors are units 3 and 4 at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Takahama plant in Fukui Prefecture and reactors 1 and 2 at Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s Sendai plant in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The others are reactors 3 and 4 at Kansai Electric’s Oi plant in Fukui, units 3 and 4 at Kyushu Electric’s Genkai plant in Saga Prefecture, and reactor 3 at Shikoku Electric Power Co.’s Ikata plant in Ehime Prefecture.

Kobe Steel’s welding rods were used during assembly work at all nine reactors, and reinforcing bars and parts in some reactor containment vessels use hexagon bolts manufactured by the company.

The utilities told the NRA that the products are not among those affected by the data fabrication scandal and, thus, pose no safety problems.

The welding rods were also used for water tanks which are used to store contaminated water at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant, it was also found.

NRA Chairman Toyoshi Fuketa asked for performance examinations to be conducted on the welding rods.

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