Hongkong Electric Company
Encyclopedia
The Hongkong Electric Company (香港電燈有限公司) is one of Hong Kong
's two main electricity generators. The other is China Light & Power. It is a subsidiary of Power Assets Holdings Limited, which was known as Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited until February 2011.
to discuss land reclamation, Bendyshe Layton suggested to Sir Catchick Paul Chater
that Hong Kong acquire an electricity generator. Chater, who was to remain a director of the new Hong Kong Electric Company for 37 years, took charge of raising finance for the project. The total capital of $300,000 was divided into 30,000 shares, half of which were offered to the public. As a result the first power station in Hong Kong was secretly built on the site of an old graveyard in Star Street, Wan Chai
. The plant was designed by electrical engineer William Wickham who subsequently remained its manager until 1910. At 6:00 p.m. on December 1, 1890, 50 street lights along Queen's Road Central, Battery Path
and Upper Albert Road
were switched on. The lights failed on the second night then again one week later. Thereafter there were no further faults for 26 years. Street lighting was later extended west as far as Bonham Strand
and Caine Road
then later along Queens Road East and Wanchai Road to Mission Hospital Hill (site of the present Ruttonjee Hospital
). In the 1890s, as electricity became popular, the first private houses were connected to the company's supply to power lights and fans. On the commercial front, a substation was built in 1898 to service the lifts of the new tall buildings mushrooming along the waterfront. By 1905 the company was supplying power for 15 lifts, thousands of lamps as well as for street lighting. The power grid was extended underground to West Point
then later to Victoria Peak
and Shau Kei Wan
. By 1916, Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau
were also connected. One by one large organisations like Dairy farm, Taikoo Docks, the Peak Tram
and the University of Hong Kong which had formerly generated their own supplies, switched to the company's supply. In 1924 there were 1,369 street lamps lit by gas with only 469 powered by electricity. However, by 1936, few gas lamps remained.
During the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong
in December 1941, a number of staff at the North Point power plant held the Japanese at bay in an epic defence. Casualties from the battle included the plant's manager Vincent Sorby, who died in a prison camp of wounds received during the attack.
A second power plant was built in North Point
in 1919 and a third at Ap Lei Chau in 1968 which was decommissioned in 1989. Since 1990 all HEC's electric generators have been situated at the Lamma Power Station.
Hongkong Land
(HKL), which owned a 34% stake in the company, underwent a restructuring in January 1985 whereby it was forced to sell its stake in the company for HK$3 billion to reduce debt levels
The company is now controlled by Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Holdings as part of listed company Power Assets Holdings Limited, which before February 2011 was known as "Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited".
-fired, or combined cycle
when used alongside natural gas
). Built in 1982 as a 250 MW coal fired station it was upgraded to 600 MW in 1987 and to 1350 MW by 1989
standard N50 800 kW wind turbine
with a rotor diameter of 50 metres (164 ft). Completed in 2006, the turbine is of stall-regulated, "horizontal axis" design and is mounted up-wind.
thin film photovoltaic
(TFPV), the requisite solar panels are located on the rooftops of the main building of Lamma Power Station. Power generated is fed directly to Hong Kong Electric's 380V electrical grid via inverter
s, distribution boards and power transmission cables. All panels are set to face south to maximise power output and are inclined at an angle of 22 degrees. With an installed capacity of 550 kW, on completion in 2011 the plant's annual output is forecast at 620000 kilowatt-hours (2,232,000,000,000 J).
Power station was a 50 kW coal-fired power station opened in 1890 and decommissioned in 1922. Built in the colonial architecture style, it was later demolished and is now the site of Art Deco residential flats at 31, Wing Fung Street.
housing estate, 34 towers built by Hutchison Whampoa
.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's two main electricity generators. The other is China Light & Power. It is a subsidiary of Power Assets Holdings Limited, which was known as Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited until February 2011.
History
Following a meeting of the Executive CouncilExecutive Council (Commonwealth countries)
An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.Executive Councillors are informally...
to discuss land reclamation, Bendyshe Layton suggested to Sir Catchick Paul Chater
Catchick Paul Chater
Sir Catchick Paul Chater, CMG , was a prominent British businessman of Armenian descent in colonial Hong Kong.-Early life:...
that Hong Kong acquire an electricity generator. Chater, who was to remain a director of the new Hong Kong Electric Company for 37 years, took charge of raising finance for the project. The total capital of $300,000 was divided into 30,000 shares, half of which were offered to the public. As a result the first power station in Hong Kong was secretly built on the site of an old graveyard in Star Street, Wan Chai
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
. The plant was designed by electrical engineer William Wickham who subsequently remained its manager until 1910. At 6:00 p.m. on December 1, 1890, 50 street lights along Queen's Road Central, Battery Path
Battery Path
Battery Path is a path beneath Government Hill, the centre of Hong Kong Government, in Central on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. The path begins at Queen's Road Central and ends in Garden Road. It leads to Central Government Offices, The Court of Final Appeal and St. John's Cathedral in...
and Upper Albert Road
Upper Albert Road
Upper Albert Road is a road on Government Hill in the Central District of Hong Kong.Surrounding Government House, the residence of former Governors of Hong Kong and present Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the road is used as a destination for various protests which sometimes results in traffic...
were switched on. The lights failed on the second night then again one week later. Thereafter there were no further faults for 26 years. Street lighting was later extended west as far as Bonham Strand
Bonham Strand
Bonham Strand is a combination of two streets in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong: Bonham Strand and Bonham Strand West ....
and Caine Road
Caine Road
Caine Road is a main road in Hong Kong connecting Bonham Road in the west and Arbuthnot Road and Upper Albert Road in the east ....
then later along Queens Road East and Wanchai Road to Mission Hospital Hill (site of the present Ruttonjee Hospital
Ruttonjee Hospital
Ruttonjee Hospital is a hospital in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is affiliated with the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Hong Kong, and provides clinical attachment opportunities for the university's medical students.-History:Centrally located in Wan Chai, the...
). In the 1890s, as electricity became popular, the first private houses were connected to the company's supply to power lights and fans. On the commercial front, a substation was built in 1898 to service the lifts of the new tall buildings mushrooming along the waterfront. By 1905 the company was supplying power for 15 lifts, thousands of lamps as well as for street lighting. The power grid was extended underground to West Point
West Point, Hong Kong
West Point was a point of land on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Its location is the shore off the Pokfulam Road and Queen's Road West in 1845, approximately the junction of Western Street and Des Voeux Road West near the Western Police Station...
then later to Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...
and Shau Kei Wan
Shau Kei Wan
Shau Kei Wan or Shaukeiwan, Shaukiwan is a town in Eastern District, Hong Kong. Literally, Shau Kei means a pail, and Wan implies that the town is developed along the coast. Nowadays it is a relatively densely populated town compared with some developing areas.-Name:The name Shau Kei Wan comes...
. By 1916, Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau
Ap Lei Chau
Ap Lei Chau , or Aberdeen Island, is an island of Hong Kong, located south-west of Hong Kong Island, next to Aberdeen Harbour and Aberdeen Channel, with an area of 1.30 km². Administratively, it is part of Southern District. Ap Lei Chau is the third most densely populated island in the world.-...
were also connected. One by one large organisations like Dairy farm, Taikoo Docks, the Peak Tram
Peak Tram
The Peak Tramway is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Central district to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of...
and the University of Hong Kong which had formerly generated their own supplies, switched to the company's supply. In 1924 there were 1,369 street lamps lit by gas with only 469 powered by electricity. However, by 1936, few gas lamps remained.
During the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
in December 1941, a number of staff at the North Point power plant held the Japanese at bay in an epic defence. Casualties from the battle included the plant's manager Vincent Sorby, who died in a prison camp of wounds received during the attack.
A second power plant was built in North Point
North Point
North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. It is the northernmost point of Hong Kong Island, adjacent to both Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay, and projecting toward Kowloon Bay. Fortress Hill occupies the western end of the North Point area.-History:In 1899, The...
in 1919 and a third at Ap Lei Chau in 1968 which was decommissioned in 1989. Since 1990 all HEC's electric generators have been situated at the Lamma Power Station.
Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land is one of Asia’s leading property investment, management and development groups with premium commercial and residential property interests across the region. It owns and manages some five million square feet of commercial space in Hong Kong’s Central Business District serving...
(HKL), which owned a 34% stake in the company, underwent a restructuring in January 1985 whereby it was forced to sell its stake in the company for HK$3 billion to reduce debt levels
The company is now controlled by Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Holdings as part of listed company Power Assets Holdings Limited, which before February 2011 was known as "Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited".
Lamma Power Station
Lamma Power Station is a 3736 MW either (coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
-fired, or combined cycle
Combined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
when used alongside natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
). Built in 1982 as a 250 MW coal fired station it was upgraded to 600 MW in 1987 and to 1350 MW by 1989
Lamma Winds
Lamma Winds operates a NordexNordex
Nordex is a German company that designs, sells and manufactures wind turbines. The domicile is located in the German city of Hamburg, production takes place in Rostock, China and Jonesboro, Arkansas. The company was founded in 1985 in Give, Denmark. Since then the company steadily grew...
standard N50 800 kW wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
with a rotor diameter of 50 metres (164 ft). Completed in 2006, the turbine is of stall-regulated, "horizontal axis" design and is mounted up-wind.
Solar power system
In July 2010, the company commissioned the largest commercial-scale solar power system in Hong Kong. Based on amorphous siliconAmorphous silicon
Amorphous silicon is the non-crystalline allotropic form of silicon. It can be deposited in thin films at low temperatures onto a variety of substrates, offering some unique capabilities for a variety of electronics.-Description:...
thin film photovoltaic
Thin film solar cell
A thin-film solar cell , also called a thin-film photovoltaic cell , is a solar cell that is made by depositing one or more thin layers of photovoltaic material on a substrate...
(TFPV), the requisite solar panels are located on the rooftops of the main building of Lamma Power Station. Power generated is fed directly to Hong Kong Electric's 380V electrical grid via inverter
Inverter
Inverter may refer to* Inverter , a device that converts direct current to alternating current** Inverter , an air conditioner that can continuously regulate its output by altering the compressor speed in response to cooling demand** Uninterruptible power supply, which often are based on an...
s, distribution boards and power transmission cables. All panels are set to face south to maximise power output and are inclined at an angle of 22 degrees. With an installed capacity of 550 kW, on completion in 2011 the plant's annual output is forecast at 620000 kilowatt-hours (2,232,000,000,000 J).
Closed plants
Most of the older power stations were closed as residential development began to surround them. As HEC was owned by a land developer, these properties were in turn re-developed into housing estates.Wan Chai
Wan ChaiWan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
Power station was a 50 kW coal-fired power station opened in 1890 and decommissioned in 1922. Built in the colonial architecture style, it was later demolished and is now the site of Art Deco residential flats at 31, Wing Fung Street.
North Point
The North Point Power Stations were a series of power stations built between 1919 and 1966. The site is now home to the City Garden residential flats and Maxim Mall.- North Point Power Station (A) - 3000 kW coal-fired generating station opened in 1919 to replace Wan Chai station and decommissioned in 1989
- North Point Power Station (B) - 30 MW coal-fired generating station opened in 1958 and decommissioned in 1989
- North Point Power Station (C) - 60 MW oil-fired generating station opened in 1966 and decommissioned 1989
Ap Lei Chau Power Station
Opened in 1968, Ap Lei Chau Power Station was a 750 MW oil-fired generating station. The plant was decommissioned and its generator moved to Lamma Power Station between 1984–1989; HEC office tower and building is now surrounded by the South HorizonsSouth Horizons
South Horizons is a private housing estate located at the western end of the island of Ap Lei Chau, in Hong Kong, near Ap Lei Chau Estate...
housing estate, 34 towers built by Hutchison Whampoa
Hutchison Whampoa
Hutchison Whampoa Limited or HWL of Hong Kong is a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. HWL is an international corporation with a diverse array of holdings which includes the world's biggest port and telecommunication operations in 14...
.