Corporate History
1950s
1951
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May
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Kansai Electric Power was established upon restructuring of power business.
1956
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July
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Construction of Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station (Omachi route) begins
1957
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Nuclear Power Department launched to start R&D on nuclear power
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May
- Fault fracture zone reached in Omachi Tunnel for building the Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station (broken through in December)
1958
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Feb.
- Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station Omachi Tunnel completed
1960s
1961
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Mar.
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Output of thermal facilities overtakes hydro facilities (marking shift to thermal)
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Sep.
- World's first balloon construct method used to set up power transmission line crossing the Naruto Strait
1963
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June
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Construction of Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station finally completed after 7 grueling years
1964
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May
- KEPCO's first pumped storage power station, the Mio Power Station, goes into operation (34MW; 1,500 kW added in December 1968)
1966
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Summer peak power consumption tops winter peak for the first time (marking shift to summer peak consumption)
1968
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Mar.
- Himeji No.2 Power Station Unit 4 goes into operation (450MW: all units 1,350MW), first two-stage heat recovery supercritical pressure system
1970s
1970
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July
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KEPCO's first nuclear power plant, Mihama Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 goes into operation (340MW)
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July
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Japan's first recirculating pumped storage power plant, Kisenyama Power Station Units 1 and 2 go into operation (233MW each)
1973
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Oct.
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Himeji No.2 Power Station Unit 5 goes into operation (600MW, total 1,950MW); computerized auto-heating, auto-pressurizing system adopted; thermal power facility boosted to 10,030MW)
1976
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May
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Construction completed on 500 kV Wakasa main transmission line (city side) and Nishi-Kyoto transfer substation, completing a 500 kV main transmission system, which goes into operaiton
1979
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June
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Himeji LNG terminal goes into operation
1980s
1981
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Apr.
- First TQC system in power industry adopted
1984
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Nov.
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Received Deming Prize, a global quality award, given for the first time outside of manufacturing and architecture industries
1987
- Annual electricity sales volume exceeds 100 TWh
1989
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Dec.
- Primary dispatching center goes into full operation; central load dispatching center backup system established
1990s
1991
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Feb.
- Mihama Unit 2 steam generator tube rupture accident
1992
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Mar.
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Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Incorporated (INSS) established taking into lessons learned from Mihama Unit 2 accident
1995
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Jan.
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Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake hits; immediate power outage affects 2.6 million households, primarily in Hanshin area (2,836MW)
Emergency power transmission completed in 153 hours
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Dec.
- Electricity Enterprises Law revised for the first time in 31 years, deregulating the wholesale power industry
1996
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Jan.
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Electricity rates lowered, First electricity wholesale bidding
1998
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Feb.
- Electricity rates lowered
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Oct.
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First overseas power generation by a power company
Joined San Roque hydroelectric power generation project in the Philippines
2000s
2000
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Oct.
- Electricity Enterprises Law revised; liberalization of retail market begins; first lowering of electricity rates by report
2001
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Aug.
- Record high peak power consumption (33,060MW)
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Nov.
- Heat pump water heater "EcoCute" with CO2 coolant developed
2002
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Oct.
- Electricity rates lowered
2003
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June
- Constant rated thermal power operation introduced at all nuclear power plants
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July
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KEPCO's electricity certified with EcoLeaf environmental label
2004
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Aug.
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Mihama Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 secondary pipe rupture accident
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Aug.
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Maizuru Power Station Unit 1 goes into operation
First cross-compound steam turbine adopted by KEPCO
2005
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Apr.
- Electricity rates lowered
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June
- Mihama Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 accident recurrent prevention plan announced
2006
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Apr.
- Electricity rates lowered
2007
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Mar.
- Kansai Electric Power Group medium and long term plan announced
2008
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Sept.
- Electricity rates lowered
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Sept.
- Mihama Line Tower No.21 accident
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Sept.
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KEPCO's first company ship "LNG Ebisu" built
2009
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July
- Power usage notice and inquiry service started
2010s
2010
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Mar.
- Kansai Electric Power Group Long-term Growth Strategy toward 2030 announced
2011
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Feb.
- Winter peak power consumption record (26,650MW)
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Sept.
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Japan's first megasolar project by a power company Sakai Solar Power Station goes into full operation
2012
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Dec.
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Awaji Wind Power Station, the first KEPCO's wind farm, goes into operation
2013
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May
- Electricity rates raised
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Aug.
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Himeji No.2 Power Station Unit 1 goes into operation
Facility upgraded to combined cycle power generation system using ultra high-temperature 1,600 degrees C -class gas turbine
2015
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June
- Electricity rates raised
Leading Company in Osaka-City Supporting Women's Activities certified
2016
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Mar.
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Leading Company in Osaka-City Supporting Women's Activities awarded for excellence
Management Philosophy, Guidelines for Action, Kansai Electric Power Group Vision and brand statement drafted -
Apr.
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Liberalization of the energy retail market begins
Kansai Electric Power Group Medium term Management Plan (2016-2018) drafted
2020s
2020
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Feb.
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Kansai Electric Power Group “Zero Carbon Vision 2050” drafted
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Mar.
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Corporate Purpose & Values and Kansai Electric Power Group Medium-term Management Plan(2021-2025) drafted
