Japan’s nuclear regulator has suspended its safety checks of Unit 2 at the Tsuruga nuclear power station in Fukui Prefecture after accusing the operator of falsifying data about a geological fault that runs directly beneath one of the plant’s two plants.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said Japan Atomic Power Company had falsified data about a geological fault to stop the plant, in the southwest of the country, from remaining offline and potentially being decommissioned. JAPC said the data was changed inadvertently.

The NRA will maintain the suspension of screening, which is a prerequisite for restarting the 1,108 pressurised water reactor unit, until it confirms the credibility of data provided by JAPC and the effectiveness of preventive measures.