Setting up Business in Hong Kong
A reliable supply of electricity is crucial for a business to operate smoothly. The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd. provides one of the most reliable supply of electricity in the world. Our supply reliability rating tops 99.999% every year since 1997.
The following information is provided for foreign investors who want to know more about the electricity supply system of The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd. for the purpose of setting up business in Hong Kong: supply network, reliability of electricity supply, power quality, supply voltage and frequency, application for electricity supply and customer services.
Regarding the services provided by the “One Stop Centre” under the administration of the Efficiency Unit of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, please visit the HKSAR Government's website.
|The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd. supplies electricity to Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island. Electricity is first generated at Lamma Power Station and transmitted at very high voltage - 275kV and 132kV to the load centres where it is stepped down in the primary substations to 22kV or 11kV. It is then distributed to customers through the 22kV and 11kV distribution networks to the secondary substations where electricity is further transformed to 380V/220V for customer's utilization.
|The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd. provides with its customers one of the most reliable supply of electricity in the world. We are proud of our record that the electricity supply reliability rating of the Company has been maintained at 99.999% every year since 1997. In order to achieve high reliability, appropriate provisions have been made in the design and operation of the generation, transmission and distribution systems to cope with contingency and to maintain stable electricity supply. The generation, transmission and distribution systems are continuously supervised and controlled remotely at its System Control Centre, which is equipped with state-of-the-art system computers to ensure effective and efficient operation of the power system at anytime.
|Although the electricity supply of The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd. is one of the most reliable in the world, being a public supply system, it is susceptible to external influences, for instance, damage of the underground cable by road excavation, customer installation fault or fault in the interconnected system outside Hong Kong Island. Electrical fault in the transmission and distribution system may also occasionally occur. Therefore, we highly recommend customers to provide back up supply for important services, such as emergency generator and/or uninterruptible power supply, to minimize inconvenience to their business caused by supply interruption and voltage dip.
Voltage dip may occur due to lightning or a fault in the power system. These voltage dips are just of very short duration. Most equipment will be able to "ride over" and operate as usual, but some sensitive equipment, such as computer equipment, will need to have uninterruptible power supply to maintain continuous operation. However, as The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd. uses underground cable extensively for transmission, voltage dips induced by lightning are far less frequent than other countries/cities which have substantial overhead line installation in the power system.
The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd. has installed power quality monitoring equipment at strategic locations in the power system. The data are used to trend the power quality of the power system and formulate long term power quality strategy of the Company. In order to maintain power qualityFix Bobby Test Same Link Phrase|power qualityFix Bobby Test Same Link Phrase 2 and avoid undue interferences onto the power system caused by customer installations, the Company has specified certain technical requirements relating to voltage fluctuation and harmonic distortion that customers must comply with, in order to limit the magnitude of the effect on other customers.
|Electricity will be supplied using the Alternating Current (A.C.) system at a frequency of 50 Hertz. The following voltages are available at the discretion of the Company:
(a) Single phase: 220 volts
(b) Three phase:
- i. 220/380 volts (3 phase 4 wire)
- ii. 11,000 volts
- iii. 22,000 volts
- iv. 132,000 volts
The declared limits of the supply under normal conditions are:
(a) Voltage:
- 220 volts and 220/380 volts supply (plus or minus 6%)
- 11,000 volts, 22,000 volts and 132,000 volts supply (plus 10% or minus 2.5%)
(b) Frequency: 50 Hertz (plus or minus 2%)
Should you want to apply for a new electricity supply, transfer an electricity account or apply for additional load for premises in Hong Kong and Lamma Island, please call us at 2887 3411 during business hours or complete and submit an electronic form on Internet. For detailed guidance on the steps of applying for electricity supply for your new business in Hong Kong, please visit "Electricity Account Processing Guide|Electricity Account Processing Guide".
“Enterprise Advisor” Service
The “Enterprise Advisor” service is available at our Customer Centre, providing our commercial customers and their electrical contractors with advice on application for new or additional supply, energy efficiency and safety, power quality issues and account matters, all under one roof.
Customer Services
The Company's commitment on serving the community extends beyond the supply of electricity. It also includes our dedication in providing caring and helpful services based on the published service standards on various aspects of its operation. Technical advisory service is also available for the application and connection of new supplies, power quality, and any other pertinent matters relating to the supply of electricity. For further enquiries, please contact:
Customer Services Representatives
Telephone: 2887 3411
Facsimile: 2510 7667
Inspection & Technical Enquiries
Telephone: 2887 3455
Facsimile: 2510 7721
E-mail: mail@hec.com.hk