Chief Engineer (Projects), Mr. N. Y. Cheung,   at the press conference. More than 100 pieces of gigantic bolts fasten the hub onto the ground. Installation of wind turbine blades. Installation of wind turbine blades. A view of the wind turbine off Yung Shue Wan.

Chief Engineer (Projects), Mr. N. Y. Cheung,  at the press conference. More than 100 pieces of gigantic bolts fasten the hub onto the ground. Installation of wind turbine blades. Installation of wind turbine blades. A view of the wind turbine off Yung Shue Wan.

Hong Kong is counting down to the introduction of wind power following Hongkong Electric’s installation of its first commercial-scale wind turbine, located on Lamma Island, earlier this week.

Chief Engineer (Projects) of the Hongkong Electric Company Limited (HEC), Mr. Cheung Nai-yik, today said functional testing of the facilities would be conducted in the next two weeks while the remaining site works, including road construction and landscaping, would take place in the ensuing months.

When commissioned in three months time, the 800-kW wind turbine will run automatically and generate electricity when wind speeds are in the range of 3 to 25 meters per second.

The triple-bladed wind turbine stands 71 meters tall and is located on the hilltop of Tai Ling. The turbine has been color-coordinated to blend into the local environment.

The facility will include an educational centre to promote public interest in and understanding of wind power and other forms of renewable energy. Once the station is up and running in 2006, the public can visit the centre and see up-to-the-minute operational data for the wind power station.

Mr. Cheung noted that HEC is looking forward to introducing wind power in Hong Kong. “This is the first commercial-scale wind turbine in Hong Kong and is expected to produce 1GWh of electricity per year. The operation and maintenance of the wind turbine will allow us to learn a great deal about this important source of energy.”

He added that HEC has overcome technical and environmental difficulties relating to the transportation and installation of the facilities and gained valuable experience during the process.

“For example, special considerations had to be made in the planning stage regarding the transportation of turbine equipment along steep slopes and vegetation en route to the site. As a result, we divided the 50-tonne tower into three sections for easier transport and assembly at the site,” Mr. Cheung explained.

The installation work was equally challenging, he noted. “The wind turbine site at Tai Ling is relatively small compared to those overseas, making it particularly difficult to assemble the tower.”

“Notwithstanding these complexities, the $15 million project has offered us valuable experience in the application of wind energy in Hong Kong and allowed us to study the feasibility of developing renewable energy projects on a larger scale,” he added.  

HEC’s wind turbine project offers a unique educational attraction for Hong Kong. Following the opening of the turbine and the educational centre, the public will be able to experience the operations of the turbine and increase their understanding of renewable energy. In addition, the turbine would attract visitors to Lamma Island.

The turbine will be connected to the existing power grid and remotely controlled and monitored by HEC engineers at the Lamma Power Station. HEC will provide operation and maintenance training for staff concerned. “Keeping a high standard of safety and reliability remains a priority for us,” Mr. Cheung noted.