HK Electric to build new gas-fired generation unit

HK Electric announced on Monday that it will construct a new gas-fired generation unit at Lamma Power Station in order to meet the company's development plan to phase out coal-fired generation by 2035. 

The new unit L13, which shares the same design as other gas-fired generation units currently operating at Lamma Power Station, is expected to be commissioned in 2029. 

The electric giant said it has been studying the use and introduction of green hydrogen as one of the zero-carbon energy alternatives in Hong Kong. It added that with proper modifications and repurposing, all the gas-fired generation units can use both natural gas and hydrogen as fuels in the future. 

Under HK Electric's 2024 - 2028 Development Plan, unit L13 is scheduled to replace an old coal-fired generation unit to maintain the generation capacity. The remaining two coal-fired units will stop using coal for daily electricity generation in 2035 or earlier.

HK Electric said the company's gas-fired generation proportion is set to increase from around 56 percent in 2023 to around 70 percent this year, and the proportion will go up further when L13 is commissioned. 

In anticipation of the government's plan to import more zero-carbon electricity from the mainland, the electric giant said it is preparing and studying on how to safely import such power to its grid while maintaining network stability. 

The company will also continue to actively explore innovative and sustainable solutions, including the application of green hydrogen energy, which would help accelerate the energy transition to achieve the net-zero target.