A Japanese power company said Wednesday it was suing for nearly 400 million dollars in damages from Hitachi Ltd. over an accident at a nuclear reactor.
Chubu Electric Power said it would file the lawsuit to seek compensation for the halt to the No. 5 reactor at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, 180 kilometres (ll5 miles) west of Tokyo.
Chubu Electric Power was forced to stop operations at the reactor in June 2006 after the blades of a turbine produced by Hitachi came off. Operations resumed in March 2007.
"We will seek 41.8 billion yen (391 million dollars) in compensation to cover financial losses as a result of the accident," a spokesman for the power company said, adding that it would also seek legal costs.
Hitachi has agreed with Chubu Electric to bear all expenses directly related to the reconstruction of the turbine, but negotiations between the two firms on financial losses had reached deadlock.
Hitachi, also known for its electronics products including flat-screen televisions, has forecast a return to profit in the current financial year with strong growth from the nuclear power business.
Japan, which has virtually no fossil fuel resources, has been trying to increase nuclear power despite opposition from residents concerned about safety.
