Offshore wind farm | CLP plans to build 17 giant windmills outside Clearwater Bay to generate electricity as high as half an ICC

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Written by: Lao Minyi

2021-04-26 00:00

Last update date: 2021-04-26 00:00

The Hong Kong government proposed to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. In the early years, China Light and Power had studied in the southeastern waters of Hong Kong off Clear Water Bay and made further progress in the construction of offshore wind farm projects.

CLP originally planned to invest several billion yuan to build 67 power generating windmills on the sea to form a large-scale wind farm. The latest plan is to introduce larger windmills in exchange for reducing the number of windmills.

CLP stated that the giant windmill it plans to introduce has a blade diameter of 230 meters, which means that the height of a windmill is equivalent to half of the International Trade Plaza (ICC).

According to the relevant plan, the introduction of more giant windmills, the number of windmills that need to be built offshore is expected to be reduced to 17, and the power generation capacity will increase by nearly 30% to 255 MW, which is equivalent to 3/4 of a natural gas unit.

After revising the project design, CLP has applied to the government for a change of environmental permit, which was approved this month.

A CLP spokesperson said that the final choice of windmill model and placement depends on the results of geological surveys and the market supply of wind turbines.

We have discussed wind power generation in Hong Kong for many years. The HEC invested 15 million yuan in the construction of a wind power station on Lamma Island. The two power companies subsequently proposed to build large-scale offshore wind farms. They considered the southeastern waters of the Ninepin Islands and the southwestern waters of Lamma Island. It has development potential, but wind power projects have "only heard the sound of stairs" for many years.

CLP has long chosen to develop offshore wind farms in the southeast waters of Hong Kong. It passed the environmental assessment in 2009 and was granted an environmental permit. It installed offshore wind measurement towers in 2012 to collect and analyze wind data, including wind magnitude, wind direction, Humidity and air pressure have accumulated data for nearly 10 years.

The project includes the construction and operation of an offshore wind farm with a capacity of approximately 200 to 255 MW in the waters southeast of Hong Kong, including up to 31 wind turbines with a generating capacity of not less than 6.45 MW, offshore transformer platforms, subsea collection and transmission cables And data research tower.

(Photo of Environmental Protection Agency)

Intended to introduce giant power generating fans to reduce the number of windmill

In the early years, CLP planned to build 67 3 MW windmills with a total power generation capacity of 200 MW in the waters about 9 kilometers away from the Clear Water Bay Peninsula. At that time, it was estimated that each windmill cost 80 million to 100 million yuan.

A CLP spokesperson said that Hong Kong currently only has small-scale renewable energy projects, such as solar energy and waste-to-energy. Wind energy is one of the few remaining renewable energy sources that can be produced on a relatively large scale. Considering that the offshore wind power industry is becoming more mature , The cost of the wind turbine supply chain has fallen, the application of new technologies with larger impellers, and the need to cooperate with the government's carbon reduction policy, so CLP has re-examined the development potential and feasibility of wind farm projects.

CLP explained that the adjusted project design will follow the original framework, but plans to introduce larger windmills. It is estimated that in 2030, the power generation capacity of each windmill is expected to increase to 15 MW.

However, the diameter of the rotor of the windmill used will be increased from the originally planned 90 meters to 230 meters.

Due to the introduction of giant windmills for higher efficiency, the number of construction can be reduced to 17, with a total power generation capacity of 255 MW, equivalent to three-quarters of the 337.5 MW natural gas generating unit.

A CLP spokesperson said that under the new design, the number of windmills that need to be built is one-quarter of the original plan, which can reduce wind resistance and increase cost-effectiveness and wind energy production.

The project also uses "suction caisson foundation technology" as planned to avoid dredging and piling, and reduce the impact on the seabed and marine ecology.

Each windmill is as high as half an ICC

According to the information, the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong is the International Commerce Plaza (ICC) above the Kowloon Station of the MTR. The height of the building is 484 meters.

If the CLP's offshore wind farm plan is implemented, 17 giant windmills over half the height of the ICC will be erected in the waters southeast of Hong Kong.

Wind power will account for 2 to 3% of CLP’s fuel mix

CLP submitted an application for changing the environmental permit to the Environmental Protection Department on March 17 this year. The department confirmed that the changes proposed in the application will not have any adverse effects on the environment. The revised environment was issued on April 13th. license.

A CLP spokesperson said that the project is not like an arrow. The next step is to conduct geological surveys (see separate draft).

The spokesperson emphasized that the windmill style introduced by the offshore wind farm has not yet been finalized, and the newer style at that time will be selected at that time, but he emphasized that it will not be a "guinea pig".

When asked about the estimated cost of each windmill, CLP stated that it hopes to build the first wind farm in Hong Kong and hopes to be "flat and upright." It believes that there are more suppliers in the market than 10 years ago, with some from Europe, the United States and the Mainland. Windmill hopes to buy suitable products at a good price during the bidding process.

China Power: The impact of wind power on electricity prices will not reach unacceptable levels

CLP also estimates that when offshore wind farms are completed in the future, wind power will account for about 2 to 3% of CLP’s fuel mix, which is expected to replace coal power units. "It must be more expensive than fossil fuels, but the impact on electricity prices will not reach unacceptable levels. After completion, there is no operating cost at all, and it mainly involves real-time monitoring and regular maintenance."

Although offshore wind farms can operate 24 hours a day, CLP said that citizens use electricity for an uneven period of time, and the wind cannot be increased in a timely manner. It needs the support of controllable generator sets.

The spokesperson also believes that in addition to local renewable energy, in the future, it will be necessary to increase zero-carbon energy through regional cooperation and gradually replace natural gas for power generation with hydrogen energy. In conjunction with carbon reduction measures, it is believed that Hong Kong will be able to "walk on multiple legs" in 2050. Achieve carbon neutrality by the year.

HK Electric invested 15 million yuan to build a wind power station on Lamma Island, which produces an average of 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 800 metric tons.

(Screenshot of HK Electric's website)

HK Electric is still studying the technical feasibility of wind power in Hong Kong

Regarding the HEC’s wind farm projects, the HEC stated that although the potential of Hong Kong’s wind power generation may not be comparable to that of European and American countries and the Mainland, based on the wind data collected in the past, it believes that Hong Kong has certain potential to develop wind power, so it has been actively exploring how to improve Hong Kong. The proportion of wind power, and continue to negotiate with the government to study the technical feasibility and application of wind power in Hong Kong.

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