Hong Kong Seeks Renewable Sources for Future Generation Needs

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--As of last year, about 54% of Hong Kong's electricity was coal-derived, though no new coal-fired plants have been constructed since 1997 in order to drive the figure down to 10% or less.

Nuclear and natural gas-derived generation each generate about 23% of the region's electricity, although steps are being taken to bring natural gas-generated electricity up to 40%. In May 2005, the Council for Sustainable Development of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region adopted the First Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS), which included a major renewable energy component, stressing that Hong Kong should produce 3% to 4% of its electricity through renewable sources by 2020. Along with steps to increase the use of natural gas to reduce the need for coal-fired plants, the renewable energy goal would help Hong Kong to reduce emissions and meet the future demands for energy.

Windfarms became the focus of the FSDS, although numerous studies made it clear that land belonging to Hong Kong was not suited to developing onshore generation facilities. Most of the land is already under development, under conservation protection, or does not meet requirements for windfarm development. Instead, Hong Kong has turned its eyes to the sea. Mainland China has an offshore wind development potential of about 750 gigawatts, and Hong Kong is in a position to cultivate its own offshore windfarms, as it retains rights as a special administrative region.

The Hong Kong offices of the Wind Prospect Group (Bristol, England) became involved with the FSDS when it proposed Hong Kong's first offshore windfarm in 2007. Wind Prospect Hong Kong Limited (Hong Kong), known for the engineering and development of windfarms around the world, teamed up with CLP Power Limited, a subsidiary of CLP Holdings Limited (HKG:0002) (Kowloon, Hong Kong), to move forward with the FSDS goals.

Assuming that everything moves according to plan, the two companies are expecting to begin construction in a 15-square kilometer area of water off the coast of Ninepin Island late next year. The $300 million windfarm is currently scheduled to be complete at the end of 2012 and is anticipated to generate 200 megawatts of power for Hong Kong's regional grid. This will provide about 400 gigawatt-hours. Offshore wind may become Hong Kong's main domestic energy source in the future.

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