2024-11-15

Veolia, Sun Hung Kai Properties and CITIC Pacific to Launch Hong Kong’s First Privately Funded Solar Farm on Landfill to Generate Renewable Energy

Veolia, Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), and CITIC Pacific held a groundbreaking ceremony on 1 Nov 2024 for the city’s first privately funded solar farm on a landfill, marking a significant step in the HKSAR Government’s Climate Action Plan 2050. The project is targeted to start generating green electricity in the first half of 2025.
 


Officiating guests at the groundbreaking ceremony for Hong Kong's first privately-funded landfill solar farm project are (from left) Mr KWOK Ka-wa, Vice President of CITIC Pacific; Mr Laurent PELLETIER, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Hong Kong and Macau; Mr TSE Chin-wan, Secretary for Environment and Ecology; and Mr Christopher KWOK, Executive Director of SHKP
 
Located on a slope at the South East New Territories Landfill in Tseung Kwan O, the solar farm is expected to generate 1,200,000 kWh of green electricity annually, enough to power about 360 households. By replacing conventional fuels, it aims to reduce carbon emissions by around 468 tonnes a year, equivalent to the CO2 absorption of about 20,000 trees.

The pioneering solar farm features over 1,800 PV panels across 100,000 square feet, incorporating several technological innovations. Its civil engineering ensures slope stability and wind load protection, while the installation supports landfill restoration without damaging the landfill liner or affecting leachate and gas collection. Additionally, remote monitoring systems track operational conditions for efficient and safe performance. The solar farm will participate in the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Scheme of CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, while SUNeVision, a subsidiary of SHKP and Hong Kong’s largest data centre provider, will purchase CLP Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) linked to the solar power generated by the solar farm.


Supported by the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), this initiative offers a sustainable, low-carbon energy solution and highlights the potential for similar projects across Hong Kong, aiding the city’s transition to a low-carbon future. Mr Christopher KWOK, Executive Director of SHKP, said, “SHKP has been a strong advocate of solar energy, actively promoting the installation of solar panel systems across our owned and managed sites. We currently manage more than 16,000 solar panels, the largest solar power network in the city. We are immensely grateful for the support from the EEB and the EPD for this project, and we are excited to see the solar farm nearing fruition. In addition to providing civil and builder’s works, we also facilitate collaboration between our companies to supply green electricity, creating a closed-loop ESG model. We have arranged for our subsidiary, SUNeVision, which is Hong Kong’s largest data centre operator, to acquire CLP RECs 100% linked to the solar power generated from the solar farm. Looking ahead, we are prepared to develop more large-scale solar farms on vacant sites, such as land under planning and landfills. We strongly believe that the private sector can make significant strides in harnessing solar energy for a sustainable future.”

For more details, please visit HERE.
 

Hong Kong's first privately funded landfill solar farm project held a groundbreaking ceremony today. The photo shows (from left) Ms Lena LOW, Senior Director of Customer Success & Experience of CLP Power; Mr Carl LAI, Project Manager of GVL; Mr Norman CHENG, Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Hong Kong and Macau; Mr KWOK Ka-wa, Vice President of CITIC Pacific; Mr Laurent PELLETIER, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Hong Kong & Macau; Mr TSE Chin-wan, Secretary for Environment and Ecology; Mr Christopher KWOK, Executive Director of SHKP; Dr Samuel SHUI Ho-kwong, Director of Environmental Protection; Dr Allen FUNG, Executive Director of SHKP; Mr Robert CHAN, Executive Director of SHKP; and Mr Allen LIU, Senior Manager of CITIC Pacific

 


Solar farm at TKO SENT Landfill (rendering)