OREANDA-NEWS. May 22, 2013. HK Electric, with Hong Kong's largest photovoltaic installation, recently completed the expansion of its solar power system in Lamma Power Station to almost double of its capacity. The decision to expand was taken two years ago and when it was completed in March this year output capacity rose from 550 kW to the current 1 MW.

In announcing this result, HK Electric General Manager (Projects), Mr. Lau Chi-kwong, said the company decided to expand the system because of its outstanding performance since it was commissioned in 2010. This also demonstrated the endeavour of the Company to harness renewable energy (RE) for power generation.

What was used were more advanced amorphous/microcrystalline silicon tandem junction thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules, with better electricity-generating capacity. The new modules, which are of the same size, can generate 40% more electricity than those initially installed. With the addition of more than 3,000 such modules, the whole solar power system now comprises 8,662 PV modules. These have been installed on rooftops and the open areas of various locations at Lamma Power Station, covering an area of around 13,000 square metres.

“When the solar power system was first commissioned in July 2010 it had cumulatively generated more than 2.26 million units of green electricity, saving about 1,880 tonnes of carbon dioxides, which is equivalent to planting over 81,000 trees. With the completion of the expansion, it is expected to generate more than 1.1 million units of green electricity annually, which is equivalent to reducing 915 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission, or planting 39,000 trees,” Mr. Lau said.

HK Electric also completed in March 2013 the full-year wind measurement for the proposed offshore wind farm project at southwest Lamma. The results indicate rich wind resources and better-than-expected power generation capacity, proving that this is an ideal location for the development of an offshore wind farm.

“With the expansion of the Lamma solar power system and the satisfactory progress made at the proposed offshore wind farm, we hope to bring cleaner energy to Hong Kong that would benefit the environment and society as a whole,” Mr. Lau said.

Apart from the effort of bringing RE to Hong Kong on a commercial scale, HK Electric has always been an environmentally responsible company, and was honoured with the Gold Award for Public Organisations and Utilities Sector in the 2012 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence scheme.

The scheme, organised by the Environmental Campaign Committee of the Environmental Protection Department in conjunction with nine other organisations, is aimed at encouraging businesses and organisations to adopt green management practices. The award recognises HK Electric’s effort in contributing to protecting the environment. HK Electric will continue to keep up this effort to strive for excellence in environmental performance.