Japanese Nuclear Plant Joins Twitter

In reaction to the damaged nuclear power plants which it owns, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has created a Twitter account.

Available only in Japanese, this official Twitter account has garnered over 140,000 followers in just 13 hours. It has tweeted twice.

According to AFP, the profile of TEPCO’s Twitter account reads:

“We sincerely apologise for causing serious worries and trouble over the accident at Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant, radiation leak, planned blackouts.”

The AFP also reports that one of the first tweets from TEPCO’s account was a warning that major power blackout might be felt unless electricity was reduced following the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami.

@OfficialTEPCO is currently following only 19 accounts, including those representing Japan’s number-one media outlet, NHK, as well as prominent members of the Japanese media.

It’s not clear how TEPCO will use its Twitter account, but we can guess that it will try to do some serious PR work. It has to reassure the public that the nuclear plants that it owns are not prone to accidents like the one in Fukushima. It is also tasked with looking out for the public’s best interests, given that radiation leaks and blackouts are now a reality, as a direct result of the damage to its plant. Twitter will be one of many ways we can expect to see TEPCO reach out in the coming weeks.

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