Hitachi decides to withdraw from the UK nuclear power plant construction plan September 16 19:31
Hitachi has decided to withdraw from the construction plan for a nuclear power plant in the United Kingdom.
The government's growth strategy of securing profit sources and passing on technology to Japanese companies engaged in the nuclear power business by constructing nuclear power plants overseas is also facing a difficult phase.
According to the announcement, Hitachi decided to withdraw from the nuclear power plant construction plan underway on Anglesey Island in central England at the board meeting on the 16th.
Regarding this plan, Hitachi announced in January last year that it would freeze its participation in the plan, saying that it would not be possible to secure the profitability of the business due to cost increases due to safety measures.
After that, he requested the British government to expand support, but decided to withdraw because it was difficult to raise funds due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection after more than a year and a half without progress in negotiations. It means that.
Hitachi has recorded a related loss at the time of the freeze, and said that the impact of the withdrawal on future business results will be minor.
This plan has been considered to play a part in the government's growth strategy of securing profit sources and passing on technology to Japanese companies engaged in the nuclear power business by constructing nuclear power plants overseas.
However, with the withdrawal of Hitachi this time, the overseas business that Japanese companies are engaged in is virtually eliminated, and the government's strategy is entering a difficult phase.
Expert "We should consider how to maintain our technical capabilities"
Regarding the fact that domestic manufacturers' plans to export nuclear power plants have stopped one after another, such as Hitachi's decision to withdraw from the nuclear power plant construction plan in the United Kingdom, a visiting professor at Hosei University who once served as the chief engineer at a nuclear power plant manufacturer and is familiar with nuclear technology Hiroshi Miyano said, "There are no new construction plans in Japan after the Fukushima accident. When involved in construction, we will hone our technical capabilities such as predictive calculation of earthquake impact, as well as important safety equipment such as nuclear reactor vessels and control rods. It is possible, but if the opportunity decreases, the power of the engineers of the manufacturer will decline. The technical power will not be acquired overnight. The aging of the engineers is advancing, and there is a concern that the technology will be inherited. " He points out that countries and manufacturers should consider how to maintain technology as opportunities for nuclear power plant construction outside diminish.