The development of floating solar farms on the surface of impounding reservoirs in Hong Kong

Abstract

The initiative to develop Renewable Energy in Hong Kong was first addressed in the 2018 Policy Address and further elaborated in the ‘Hong Kong Climate Action Plan 2030+’. In October 2021, the Government of the HKSAR announced the new ‘Climate Action Plan 2050’ to strive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In response, to promote the development of renewable energy, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) has undertaken studies and three pilot trials of floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems on the surfaces of Hong Kong’s reservoirs. With the successful implementation and operation of these pilot systems, the WSD is now embarking on the investigation and design of a large-scale 5-megawatt (MW) capacity floating solar farm (FSF) at Plover Cove Reservoir. Future studies will commence shortly to explore the feasibility of also implementing large-scale FSFs totalling 130 MW on other impounding reservoirs. The paper discusses some of the design issues and considerations including innovations/technology of FSFs which are specific to Hong Kong. These include the resilience of the FPV system to withstand severe typhoon conditions, environmental and water quality issues, and the proximity of nearby waterworks facilities for utilisation of the generated renewable energy.