Water, Sewage & Effluent Mar Vol 30 No 2 | Page 32

Desalination plant to meet 5% of
Hong Kong’s water demand
“Throughout the world
new solutions are
emerging that derive
synergies across water,
energy and waste
resources. Energy is
a high cost for water
utilities and innovatively
generated power can
yield both financial and
environmental benefits
for the project.”

30

The eagerly awaited 136 000m3/day Tseung Kwan O desalination plant has
taken a step forward after the Hong Kong Government Water Supplies
Department appointed Black & Veatch as the owner’s engineer.
The engineering consultancy will design and provide construction
supervision across the first phase of the desalination plant,
designed to meet 5% of Hong Kong’s water demand.
A second phase, producing a further 136 000m3/day, is also planned.
Black & Veatch recently completed the plant’s feasibility study to identify
opportunities to harness green energy that could reduce electricity costs.
More than 70% of Hong Kong’s comes from the Dongjiang river basin in
Southern China, with the rest coming from local catchments. Although Hong
Kong has a relatively high domestic consumption per capita compared to
other developed cities, the cost to end users is low, providing little incentive
to reduce use. Black & Veatch completed Hong Kong’s first desalination plant,
the Lok On Paid Desalter, in 1976, which was later decommissioned in 1981
as a result of to high operating costs and alternative water supply options.
Alan Man, vice-president and MD director of Black & Veatch’s water
business in Greater China, said: “Throughout the world new solutions are
emerging that derive synergies across water, energy and waste resources.
Energy is a high cost for water utilities and innovatively generated power
can yield both financial and environmental benefits for the project.”

Water Sewage & Effluent March/April 2016