Keynote Address by PSE DSD R&D Forum 2017 Morning Session Smart, - - PDF document

Keynote Address by PSE DSD R&D Forum 2017 Morning Session – Smart, Green and Resilient Wastewater Management (14 November 2017, 9:20am – 9:35am) Mr Tong, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. First

• f all, I would like to thank the Drainage Services Department (DSD) for hosting this

meaningful event. It is my pleasure to be here with every one of you to learn about the latest development in wastewater management. 2. According to the records of the United States’ NASA, 2016 was the Earth’s warmest year since 1880. It was also the third year in a row to set a new record for global average surface temperature. This year, on 22 August, Hong Kong also experienced its hottest day since 1885. The temperature hit a staggering 36.6 degree Celsius. 3. Living in Hong Kong where we can indulge ourselves in the cool breezes from air-conditioners, the ever rising outdoor temperature may very well be just a “hot” starter of a meal time conversation. It is always easy for us to look at the brunt

• f climate attack as some tall tale and forget the true fact that the efficiency of our

air-conditioners will drop with every degree rise in the outdoor temperature. It is indeed a vicious cycle. 4. Ladies and gentlemen, the scorching heat in recent years is NOT just a chitchat topic. It is an urgent tug of reality. Combating climate change is no longer a matter of choice. It is an imperative. 5. It is never too late to take action to bring about positive changes. In 2016, nearly 200 countries signed the Paris Agreement. This Agreement signified a collaborative international commitment in the battle against climate change. Setting Targets with Timelines, tracking results with Transparent metrics, and working Together, in short the 4Ts, summarise the essential elements of what the Paris Agreement calls upon the world to do. 6. As a global metropolitan upholding its environmental stewardship, the Hong Kong Government took immediate action the same year and established the Steering Committee on Climate Change. Chaired by the Chief Secretary for

Administration (No. 2 of the Hong Kong Government), the Steering Committee took the helm to coordinate the climate actions of all government bureaux and departments and to formulate strategies for tackling the challenges brought about by climate change. 7. The Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2030+ report released in January this year represents the outcome of the dedicated efforts of the Steering Committee. The Government has set a target to reduce Hong Kong’s carbon intensity by 65-70% by 2030 compared with the 2005 level. This is equivalent to an absolute reduction

• f 26-36% and will result in per capita emissions of 3.3-3.8 tonnes in 2030. We also

anticipate that our carbon emissions will peak by 2020. 8. The report spells out our concerted plans on climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience with an extensive range of initiatives. We will phase down coal-fired electricity generation and increase use of natural gas in our fuel mix. We will

• ptimize the implementation of renewable energy, and make our buildings and

infrastructure more energy efficient. We will improve public transport and promote walking as a mobility means. We will strength the climate readiness of the city as a whole, and “cool” the city through landscaping. 9. The Action Plan calls for the collaboration, participation and contribution of the Government, the business sector, the green groups, NGOs, academia, and the community at large. 10. The theme of the Forum today, “Smart, Green and Resilient”, will illuminate a climate-ready road map at all the right spots. We need to integrate smart technologies to enable the effective use of our resources, deploy green initiatives to reduce our carbon emissions and design our infrastructure for reinforced climatic resilience. 11. We are committed to using innovative technologies and smart measures to buttress the resilience of our infrastructure. One good example is our wastewater treatment facilities. Through implementation of various green and emission reduction measures, we have successfully transformed our wastewater treatment process from merely energy-consuming to energy-recovering in a sustainable manner. 12. One of the first green moves by DSD is to capture clean energy such as solar energy to drive the wastewater treatment process. Commissioned in late 2016,

the solar farm in Siu Ho Wan Sewage Treatment Works at Lantau has an array of over 4 200 polycrystalline PV panels. This is as big as 26 basketball courts and is currently the largest PV installation in Hong Kong in terms of peak power rating. It is estimated that the annual electricity capacity generated by this system is 1.1 million kilo-watt hour, or about 25% of the annual power consumption of the Siu Ho Wan Sewage Treatment Works. This is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption

• f around 230 households, helping to cut the emission of about 770 metric tonnes of

carbon dioxide every year. 13. Other than sunlight, we are also reaping as much energy as possible from wastewater by applying the latest technologies. Wastewater is a treasure trove of renewable energy. The biogas generated from the anaerobic digestion of sludge can power generators. Riding on the advancement of biogas generator technologies in the last two decades, we have already installed seven high performance generators in

• ur wastewater treatment works to abstract free energy from our biogas. The total

installed power rating of the generators is 3 900kW. We have plans to put in place more generators in our existing sewage treatment works and they will become standard facilities for all of our new sewage treatment plants as far as technically feasible. 14. We also turn waste into energy. The T · PARK managed by EPD is the first major waste-to-energy facility in Hong Kong designed for treating sludge collected from the 11 major sewage treatment works. It is also the largest of its kind in the world. The heat generated from the sludge incineration process is recovered and turned into electricity which can more than fully meet the energy needs of the entire facility’s operation, making it a truly sustainable solution for waste

• management. When running at full capacity, approximately 2 megawatts of surplus

electricity could be exported to the power grid, enough to power up to 4 000 households. 15. The aforementioned actions have only tapped the surface layer of the treasure trove. Experiences overseas have demonstrated that the co-digestion process involving food waste with sewage can help raise the food waste treatment capability, generate more biogas and produce less sludge, when compared to digesting food waste and sludge separately. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and DSD are working together on a pilot trial on the co-digestion of 50-tonne food waste and the sludge at our Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works. We will issue the tender outcome soon with a view to commissioning the pilot project in early 2019.

Subject to satisfactory outcome, consideration will be given to extending such pilots to other suitable sewage treatment works in future as far as possible. 16. On the subject of technologies for wastewater treatment works, I am sure many of you will know that the largest wastewater treatment works, in terms of treatment capacity in Hong Kong, is the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works. This facility is the icon of the mega Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS), our signature scheme committed in the late eighties to restore the water quality of the Victoria Harbour. After the completion of its Stage 2A in December 2015, the whole HATS system is now treating all the wastewater generated from the Harbour area and can ultimately serve a total population of 5.7 million. Disinfection facilities have also been installed to improve the quality of the effluent, making it possible to re-open the Tsuen Wan beaches. Just slightly more than two weeks ago, after a long wait of 40 years, we were able to move our Cross Harbour Swim Race back to the legendary route in the central harbour with great successes. 17. Our hard efforts have brought about very impressive results. In the past three years, DSD’s renewable energy systems generated an average of 27 million kilo-watt hours of power every year. This is equivalent to an annual reduction of 18 900 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. 18. There are still many hurdles to overcome before the energy potential of wastewater can be fully unearthed. That is why we need more collaborations, more support from universities and research institutes to aim high and look beyond. The R&D Forum today is a perfect platform for us to share innovative ideas and facilitate collaborations among the government, scientists, scholars and industry experts. 19. Today’s forum is a golden opportunity for us to gain an insight into the smart, green and resilient technologies for wastewater treatment. 20. Wastewater treatment has for centuries been regarded as a rampart to safeguard the water quality, the public health and the environment. But with the combined efforts of R&D by the academia and professionals like the participants of today’s forum, we trust we could transform our wastewater treatment works from just facilities to protect our water bodies to Smart, Green and Resilient Energy Recovery Centres - SGR Energy Recovery Centres. 21. So much so that perhaps our future generations will only ever see the term

“wastewater treatment” from history books. 22. Before ending my remarks, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you, especially colleagues from DSD, who have contributed to the ever improving water environment of Hong Kong. DSD is always the quiet hero behind the scene whose hard work may not be well noticed and recognized by all members of the public. But you and I know that they have been playing a very important role in planning, operating and maintaining our gigantic wastewater treatment infrastructure. So let’s give a big round of applause to Edwin and his colleagues to thank them for doing an excellent job. 23. Thank you.