Highlights
Keage Power Plant
Japan’s first hydroelectric power plant for utility services utilizing the water supplied by Lake Biwa Canal. The power plant built during the first construction period started operating in 1891. The decision to install a hydroelectric power plant, which was the most advanced technology at the time, led the Lake Biwa Canal project to great success. The electricity generated at the Keage Power Plant contributed to the modernization of industry in Kyoto, as well as in Japan as a whole. The power plant supplied electricity for street lighting and industries in Kyoto. Operation of Japan’s first electrified railway (Kyoto Electric Railway) began as well.
「Keage Power Plant」The power plant facility built during the second construction period, which was completed in February 1812, has been preserved. Public days are held periodically by the Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. The power plant facility currently in operation was built during the third construction period, and still generating electricity by waterpower.
In 2016, the Keage Power Plant was designated as an “IEEE Milestone” by IEEE, a global organization for electrical and electronics engineers.