Joyce Ng, SCMP – Mar 17, 2009
CLP Power (SEHK: 0002) will fire up its first upgraded lower-emission generating unit at its Castle Peak coal-fired power plant by the end of the year.
The upgrade is part of a programme aimed at meeting the company’s 2010 emission-reductions target. But the whole project, which requires upgrading of four such units, would not be completed until 2011, and the company would have to rely on other measures to meet its 2010 target, CLP Power commercial director Lo Pak-cheong said yesterday.
“We will also have to rely on the use of ultra low-sulphur coal and more natural gas consumption,” he said.
The project started in 2007 and was expected to “considerably” cut nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and respirable suspended particulates emissions, a CLP Power spokeswoman said. She declined to give specific figures until the installations had been tested. Equipment is being installed in the boilers of Castle Peak’s four generating units to reduce nitrogen dioxides emissions during the coal-burning process.
Two limestone absorbers are being built near the coalfield to neutralise sulphur dioxide emissions.
CLP Power said the Castle Peak project would provide jobs for 500 construction workers by the middle of the year.
Under targets set by Hong Kong and Guangdong to improve regional air quality, Hong Kong’s two power companies are required by next year to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions by 54 per cent from 1997 levels, and nitrogen dioxide by 24 per cent.
The government has imposed emission caps on power plants and tightened them over the years to ensure targets are met. Castle Peak Power Plant’s licence renewal in 2007 required it to emit not more than 41,400 tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 27,650 tonnes of nitrogen dioxide in 2008. The caps this year are 39,400 tonnes and 27,300 tonnes.