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Hongkong Electric Company

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Hongkong Electric Company
香港電燈有限公司
HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments
Company typePublic
Template:SEHK
ISINHK0000179108
IndustryPublic utility
Founded1 December 1890; 135 years ago (1890-12-01) in British Hong Kong
HeadquartersHongkong Electric Centre, 44 Kennedy Road, Mid-levels,
Hong Kong
Key people
  • WAN Chi Tin (CEO)
  • FOK Kin Ning, Canning (chairman)
  • LI Tzar Kuoi, Victor (deputy chairman)[1]
ProductsElectric service
RevenueHK$ 11,344 million (2021)[2]
Total assets
Number of employees
1,682 (2022)[3]
Websitewww.hkelectric.com

The Hongkong Electric Company (HEC; ) ranks among the two principal electricity producers in Hong Kong, alongside the CLP Group. Its ownership includes significant stakeholders such as Power Assets Holdings, State Grid Corporation of China, Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings, and the Qatar Investment Authority.[4] Founded in 1890, it holds the distinction of being Hong Kong’s inaugural electricity supplier.

History

Toward the end of the 19th century, a proposal from Bendyshe Layton to Sir Catchick Paul Chater—who later served as a long-standing director—led to securing capital amounting to HK$300,000 for constructing Hong Kong’s first power station on Star Street in Wan Chai. The facility, engineered by electrical specialist William Wickham, commenced service on 1 December 1890, initially illuminating 50 street lamps along prominent central thoroughfares.[5]

By the early decades of the 20th century, HEC had broadened its distribution network to include private homes and commercial properties, powering features such as elevators in new waterfront projects. The electrical grid expanded underground reaching areas like West Point, Victoria Peak, and Shau Kei Wan; by 1916 it extended service to Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau. Prominent enterprises including Dairy Farm, Taikoo Docks, the Peak Tramway, and the University of Hong Kong shifted from self-generated electricity to HEC’s supply. By 1936, electric street lighting had largely replaced traditional gas lamps.[5]

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1941, personnel at North Point Power Station notably defended the facility; its manager Vincent Sorby succumbed to injuries sustained during this conflict.

HEC’s growth included establishing a second generating station at North Point in 1919 and a third at Ap Lei Chau in 1968—the latter was retired in 1989. Since 1990, all power generation has been centralized at Lamma Power Station.[6]

In January 1985, major shareholder Hongkong Land divested its 34% holding for HK$3 billion to alleviate debt obligations.[7]

Presently, control of HEC rests with Li Ka-shing’s Cheung Kong Holdings through Power Assets Holdings Limited (previously known as Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited until February 2011).[8]

Lamma Power Station

Lamma Power Station operates with a capacity of , utilizing either coal or a combined cycle powered by natural gas. Initially constructed in 1982 as a coal-based facility, it underwent expansions to reach in 1987 and further increased to by 1989.

Lamma Winds

The Lamma Winds installation includes a Nordex N50 wind turbine, characterized by a rotor diameter of 50 meters. Commissioned in 2006, this turbine employs stall-regulated, horizontal-axis technology to supply renewable electricity to the grid.

Solar Power System

In July 2010, Hongkong Electric launched Hong Kong’s largest commercial solar power installation at Lamma Power Station. This system uses amorphous silicon thin-film photovoltaic panels mounted on rooftops, which deliver electricity directly into the company’s 380 V distribution network. As of 2011, the system’s installed capacity stands at , with an anticipated annual generation of .

Electricity Tariffs

Electricity pricing is categorized distinctly for residential and commercial consumers:

Decommissioned Plants

Most older generating stations were phased out to accommodate expanding residential developments. Owned by a property developer, HEC has repurposed these former power station sites into housing projects.

Wan Chai

The Wan Chai Power Station, a coal-fired facility inaugurated in 1890, ceased operations in 1922. The location is currently occupied by Art Deco-style residential buildings at 31, Wing Fung Street.

North Point

Between 1919 and 1966, the North Point Power Stations were constructed but have since been replaced by City Garden residential complexes and Maxim Mall.

  • North Point Power Station (A) – coal-fired, operational from 1919 until closure in 1989
  • North Point Power Station (B) – coal-fired, opened in 1958 and decommissioned in 1989
  • North Point Power Station (C) – oil-fired, commissioned in 1966 and shut down in 1989

Ap Lei Chau Power Station

Commissioned in 1968 as an oil-fueled plant, the Ap Lei Chau Power Station was retired between 1984 and 1989. Its generating units were relocated to Lamma Power Station. Presently, the site hosts the HEC office tower surrounded by the South Horizons residential development undertaken by Hutchison Whampoa.

[[File:HKE_Quarry_Bay_Substation.jpg|thumb|250px|Hongkong Electric substation located on Healthy Street East, Quarry Bay]

Further Reading

External Links

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  6. ↑ Electricity Generation
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