PLANNING, ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF HONGKONG’S FIRST GRIDCONNECTED WIND TURBINE PILOT PROJECT

摘要

Provision of adequate and reliable electricity is vital to the sustained economic development of Hong Kong. The Hongkong Electric Company, Limited (HEC) is committed to provide quality power supply to its customers with due care for the environment. Recognizing the importance of sustainable development, HEC completed an oneyear wind monitoring program in November 2002 and obtained an Environmental Permit from Environmental Protection Department in November 2004 to build Hong Kong’s first gridconnected wind turbine on Lamma Island as a pilot project. The main objectives of the project are to acquire knowledge and experience in the design, construction and operation of wind turbine and promote public understanding of the benefits as well as the limitations of harnessing wind energy for power generation in the context of Hong Kong’s unique situations. The wind turbine supplied by Nordex Energy of Germany has a rated output capacity of 800kW. The project as a whole was engineered and managed by HEC’s in house project team. Site formation work was commenced in February 2005 and installation of wind turbine equipment began in early September 2005. The wind turbine was successfully connected to HEC’s 11kV power grid on 26 September 2005, generating 731.8kVA of power output. Educational exhibits on nature and application of various form of renewable energy are displayed within the wind turbine project site. The project site was named “Lamma Winds” at the opening ceremony held on 23 February 2006. Lamma Winds is expected to produce about one million kWh of “green” electricity per year adequate for the consumption of 250 families in Hong Kong. This paper provides a summary of HEC’s experience gained and challenges encountered in the course of executing the project from inception to initial operation.