Hong Kong gov’t says power giant CLP must review ‘company culture and management’ after series of voltage dips
Hong Kong Free Press
A Hong Kong power giant has been ordered to review its management system following a series of voltage dips, the city’s environment minister has said, as he revealed the city saw 26 power outages in the past three years.
“The Government is of the view that CLP needs to examine its company culture and management system for the entire power supply system to identify the root causes of the problem,” environment minister Tse Chin-wan said in a written response to questions from Election Committee lawmaker Chow Man-kong on Wednesday.
Independent review
CLP Power, one of Hong Kong’s two main energy providers, had agreed to allow an independent consultant selected by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to examine voltage dips and interruptions over the past three years, Tse said.
There had been a total of 26 “significant” power outage incidents in CLP’s power system since July 2021, Tse added, citing government data.
The consultant will also examine the power grid’s ability to withstand the impact of external factors and provide recommendations on how to enhance the stability and reliability of the power supply.
CLP Power said an outage at a residential estate in Diamond Hill last month was caused by a voltage dip under extreme weather. Earlier in June, thousands of Wong Tai Sin households were plunged into darkness.
“We all know that extreme weather conditions are becoming more and more frequent, with the increase of thunderstorms and heavy rain, and temperatures rising constantly. These situations pose an increasing challenge to our power system,” CLP’s managing director Joseph Law said in a statement on June 23.
Contingencies
Tse on Wednesday attributed the outages mainly to internal factors such as equipment malfunctions and external factors such as adverse weather and third-party interference.
Among the 26 power outages, 10 were caused by external factors, while 15 were caused by internal factors. The cause of one remaining incident is still under review by the EMSD.
Regarding power suppliers’ response to “increasingly frequent extreme weather,” CLP has said it will further increase manpower and adopt “innovative technology” for inspections, and install lightning and flood protection systems.
HK Electric, the other major power supplier, said that it had installed retaining wall and flood alarms at electrical substations, most of which were buried underground and generally not affected by thunderstorms.
Tse’s reply quoted CLP as saying that it would continue to monitor demand to ensure a “reliable power supply during peak demand periods,” particularly on hot summer days.
Hong Kong has forecast that 2024 could be one of the hottest years on record, and was last year pummelled by Super Typhoon Saola and record-breaking rainfall. Climate experts have warned that extreme weather events, including extreme heat, will become more frequent going forward.
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