HK Electric has unveiled plans to develop an offshore wind farm off the coast of Hong Kong with capacity of about 150MW.
The project would cover about 600 hectares about 4km away from Lamma power station, southwest of Lamma Island.
It would feature 13 to 19 turbines, with capacity between 8MW and 12MW, on monopile foundations, HK Electric said.
The overall upper tip height of the turbines would be between 198 and 271 metres above mean sea level, the company said.
An application for variation of an environmental permit for the proposed project has been approved by the Environmental Protection Department to allow for the use of more effective wind power generation technology, it added.
With this amended environmental permit, the wind farm will be included in HK Electric’s next five-year development plan (2024-2028) and submitted for government approval.
A smooth implementation will see tendering commence in 2024, foundation and turbine installation in mid-2025, and scheduled commissioning in 2027, HK Electric said.
The company said it has been collecting wind data in the selected site for many years.
The site has sufficient wind resources with an average wind speed of about 7.1 metres per second.
HK Electric managing director Wan Chi-tin said: “To achieve carbon neutrality to combat climate change, HK Electric fully supports the government’s zero-carbon electricity goal.
“Apart from increasing gas-fired generation, we have been exploring the development of renewable energy on a wider scale in Hong Kong.”
HK Electric obtained the environmental permit for the wind farm back in 2010.
But with the substantial improvements in offshore wind power generation technology, the generation unit design originally proposed became outdated.
Therefore, an application for variation of the environmental permit was submitted and approved, confirming that the adjustments will not constitute material changes to the environment in respect of water quality, marine ecology, fisheries or operational noise impact.
HK Electric has set up a Stakeholder Liaison Group with representatives from fisheries organisations, environmental groups and academic institutions, together with individuals and organisations concerned with energy issues and sustainable development.
Regular meetings will be held to provide a consultation platform and to collect feedback from different stakeholders on the design, construction and operation of the wind farm.