Hong Kong Could Get First Offshore Wind Farm in 2027

The Hongkong Electric Company (HK Electric), one of Hong Kong’s two main electricity providers, has revealed plans to develop and commission a 150 MW offshore wind farm by 2027.

The wind farm will be located southwest of Lamma Island in water depths ranging from 17 to 22 metres in an area with average wind speeds of 7.1 m/s.

Covering an area of about 600 hectares and located about four kilometres from Lamma Power Station, the wind farm will feature between 13 and 19 wind turbines with an individual capacity of between 8 MW and 12 MW.

HK Electric obtained the environmental permit for the wind farm project back in 2010. With the substantial improvements in offshore wind power generation technology, the generation unit design originally proposed became outdated, the utility said.

The application for variation of an environmental permit for the proposed project has been approved by Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department to allow for the use of more effective wind power generation technology, HK Electric said.

With this amended environmental permit, issued in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance, the wind farm project will be included in HK Electric’s next Five-year Development Plan (2024 – 2028) and submitted for Government approval.

Ground investigation and tendering works are expected to begin in 2024, followed by foundation and wind turbine installation in mid-2025, and commercial operation in 2027.

”To achieve carbon neutrality to combat climate change, HK Electric fully supports the Government’s zero-carbon electricity goal,” HK Electric’s Managing Director, Wan Chi-tin, said.

”Apart from increasing gas-fired generation, we have been exploring the development of renewable energy on a wider scale in Hong Kong,” he said, pointing to the construction of the offshore wind farm as an important step to help the city achieve net-zero electricity generation.”

The proposed wind farm is expected to produce about 400 million units of zero-carbon electricity a year, which is around four per cent of HK Electric’s total electricity output, enough for the annual use by about 120,000 households, and saving around 284,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

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 offshore wind farm project, HK Electric said.

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