Monday, October 30, 2017

Kobe Steel's Nuclear Tentacles


A few days ago I posted questions concerning the recent revelations of fraud in Kobe steel certification and the nuclear supply chain:
Was Flawed Kobe Steel Used in Construction of Japan's Troubled Rokkasho Plant? http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/was-flawed-kobe-steel-used-in.html  
More on Kobe Steel Scandal and Unanswered Questions About Nuclear Supply Chains http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/more-on-kobe-steel-scandal-and.htm
Now Shaun Bernie has an excellent article in the Asia Times addressing these questions about the steel in the nuclear supply chain:
Bernie, Shaun (2017, October 30). Kobe Steel’s Nuclear Tentacles. The Asia Times, http://www.atimes.com/article/nuclear-tentacles-kobe-steel/

The global nuclear industry developed over the past fifty years dependent upon vast quantities of steel components supplied by a relatively small number of specialized manufacturers. One of them is Kobe Steel Ltd. The steelmaker, a pillar of corporate Japan, is embroiled in the early days of disclosure of falsification of steel manufacturing data that extends to products used in planes and trains, to motor vehicles and spacecraft. And nuclear power plants.

Kobe Steel and its broad collection of subsidiaries have supplied products to the nuclear industry both in Japan and around the world since the 1960’s.

It’s a fair bet that every one of the 60 nuclear reactors operated in Japan since 1966 had some component supplied by Kobe Steel.
Greenpeace provides more details on the supply chain here:
Greenpeace (2017, October) The Kobe Steel Group Supply Chain to the Nuclear Industry And Safety Implications http://www.greenpeace.org/japan/Global/japan/pdf/Kobesteel_20171024.pdf
Strongly recommended readings.


1 comment:

  1. One qonders, how much Kobe steel is radioactive.

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