A second hydropower plant will be operational in Tuen Mun two years from now, according to the Water Supplies Department.
The first hydropower system in Hong Kong started operation at the Tuen Mun Water Treatment Works in May. Its generator has an average electricity output of 8,000 kilowatt hours per day.
The two-phase project, when completed in 2015, is expected to produce three million kWh of electricity and reduce 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels each year.
When fully operational the system will be able to provide 10 percent of the Tuen Mun treatment works’ total electricity needs and save HK$2 million per year. The generators can run for at least 25 years.
Senior electrical engineer Clement Leung Man-hon said the project does not seek to provide power for households, but to make use of renewable energy to help the environment and save costs.
“This technology can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and provide energy for our remote facilities,” Leung said.
Hydropower was tapped after the demand for fresh water climbed in recent years. The generator relies on hydraulic pressure and flow available in the aqueduct to generate electricity.
