Hong Kong environmental authorities will impose new emission caps on power plants from 2030 in a bid to further improve local air quality, with a major electricity firm pledging to import more zero-carbon energy from mainland China.
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The Environment and Ecology Bureau said on Friday that it would further cut the electricity sector’s annual emission allowances for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and respirable suspended particulates (RSPs).
In five years, the allowances would be reduced by 19 per cent, 25 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, it said.
The reductions will translate into 2,302 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, 8,350 tonnes of nitrogen oxides and 317 tonnes of RSPs, according to the 10th Technical Memorandum for the Allocation of Emission Allowances, which outlines the emission caps.
The bureau said the new caps were decided after considering factors such as the local electricity demand, the gas-fired electricity generation of the city’s two main power companies, the emission performance of existing generating units, the estimated import amount for nuclear power and clean energy, and the projected electricity intake from renewable energy sources.
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The city’s two main suppliers are HK Electric, which provides power to Hong Kong Island, and CLP Power, which covers Kowloon and the New Territories.