A general view of Korea Western Power Co. (KOWEPO) headquarters in Taean, Chungcheongnam-do.

KOWEPO President Kim byung-sook.

Korea Western Power Co. (KOWEPO) was honored with one of the “2018 Excellent Quality Competitiveness Enterprises” awards during the 44th National Quality Management Convention held at COEX Auditorium on Nov. 28.

KOWEPO spun off of Korea Electric Power Corp. in April 2001. KOWEPO has four power generation facilities with a combined capacity of 11,780MW, including Pyeongtaek, Seoincheon, Gunsan power complexes.

The power company has 2,426 employees and devotes itself to supplying electricity in a stable and economical fashion, contributing to national economic development and enhancing the quality of public lives.

KOWEPO has built a foundation to rise to Asia’s top-quality management company by announcing the quality management slogan “Q-novation ZD 4.0” in 2018 and reestablishing its quality management strategy regime.

True to the slogan “achieving fault-zero quality through ‘back to basics’ quality innovation” KOWEPO has implemented eight major execution tasks in four quality innovation fields and it has reestablished a quality vision and strategy regime tailored to meet an era of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The power company is proactively dealing with steps to secure solid quality competitiveness despite outside environment changes by developing a quality testing manual to guarantee the quality of new and renewal energy facilities, which are on the surge in the wake of a national energy paradigm shift and nurturing quality management system international certification examiners.

KOWEPO is pursuing shared growth with its cooperative SME companies in the quality management sector in order to realize social values.

KOWEPO has become the first power company to develop a tool to diagnose the quality management levels of SMEs in which support is offered to meet each company’s respective needs.

The power company is implementing diverse programs to improve SMEs’ management levels and specialization such as supporting the certification of the international standard IOS 9001 and professional guidance.

KOWEPO is also concentrating its capabilities on becoming an energy company leader in an era of the 4th Industrial Revolution by establishing the “WP-Smart Plant,” an independent power management model using the technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

KOWEPO President Kim Byung-sook said, “(We at KOWEPO) strive to fulfill its social responsibilities as a public entity, develop new and renewal power generation for next generations while implementing quality management activities on a continuous basis to rise to global power company.”

KOWEPO will devote itself to becoming an energy public entity committed to stabilizing energy supply and but also creating public happiness by furthering the spread of its specialized quality management activities, he said.

KOWEPO officials attend a ceremony to announce the quality management slogan “Q-novation ZD 4.0” on Feb. 26. (Photos: KOWEPO)