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Press Release
Castle Peak Power Station’s Licence Renewed with Tightened Emission Caps
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) issued today (July 18) the renewed licence for the Castle Peak Power Station.
"The renewed licence under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance will come into effect on August 1, 2007 and remain valid until end 2009," said an EPD spokesman.
"The emission caps on sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulates, have been further tightened up. In 2009, the allowed emissions from the station will be 15% - 27% lower than the 2005 levels," he said.
Details of the emission caps in tonnes are as follows :
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1 Aug– 31 Dec 2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| SO2 |
20,215 |
41,400 |
39,400 |
| NOx |
12,500 |
27,650 |
27,300 |
| RSP |
600 |
1,165 |
1,115 |
"Power generation is the biggest local source of air pollutants. It is the Government’s firm policy to impose emission caps on power plants and progressively tighten the caps to ensure that Hong Kong will achieve the 2010 emissions reduction targets," said the spokesman.
"We have informed the power companies the emission caps for 2010 and made clear that the need to protect our environment will be the focus of the post-2008 Schemes of Control. Their permitted rate of return will be linked to their achievement of the emission caps," he said.
"Through the licence mechanism and the regulatory arrangements proposed for the post-2008 Scheme of Control Agreement, we are confident that the Power Companies will take timely actions to achieve the emission reduction required," said the spokesman.
To improve air quality, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government reached a consensus with the Guangdong Provincial Government in April 2002 to reduce, on a best endeavour basis, the emission of four major air pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, respirable suspended particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 40%, 20%, 55% and 55% respectively in the region by 2010, using 1997 as the base year.
Ends/Wednesday, July 18, 2007
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