Hitachi

This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

Background

Hitachi Ltd is a global company, headquartered in Japan, with a significant interest in nuclear energy.

UK nuclear plans

In October 2012, it announced the acquisition of Horizon Nuclear Power from E.ON and RWE. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of November and Hitachi says it will then start "leading a programme of building new nuclear power plants in the United Kingdom". It also announced deals with Rolls-Royce and Babcock International to help it deliver the programme. Hitachi said that the deal heralded the start of "100-year commitment" to the UK.

Horizon has the rights to build reactors at Wylfa on Anglesey, north Wales, and Oldbury in Gloucestershire and Hitachi plans to build two or three new stations at each site, which will start generating electricity in the "first half of the 2020s". Hitachi beat off a rival bid for Horizon from a consortium led by US nuclear engineering company Westinghouse.

However, the BBC reported that a senior Hitachi executive acknowledged that beyond the announced acquisition price the company has not yet fully committed to invest anything at all.

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

In June 2007, GE and Hitachi set up GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to serve the global nuclear industry. It describes itself as 'a world-leading provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services' and is based in the US.

People

Hiroaki Nakanishi is Hitachi's President

Board members are:

• Takashi Kawamura, Chairman
• Mitsuo Ohashi
• Nobuo Katsumata
• George Buckley
• Harufumi Mochizuki
• Tohru Motobayashi
• Philip Yeo
• Michijiro Kikawa
• Stephen Gomersall
• Hiroaki Nakanishi
• Takashi Hatchoji
• Takashi Miyoshi

Masaharu Hanyu is the Vice President, Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer of Nuclear Systems and General Manager of Nuclear Systems Division

Website

www.hitachi.com