Veolia, Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), and CITIC Pacific today held a groundbreaking ceremony for the city’s first privately funded solar farm on a landfill, marking a significant step in the HKSAR Government’s Climate Action Plan 2050. The project is targeted to start generating green electricity in the first half of 2025.

Located on a valley slope at the South East New Territories Landfill in Tseung Kwan O, the solar farm is estimated to generate 1,200,000 kWh of green electricity annually, enough to power approximately 360 households. By replacing conventional fuel sources with this renewable energy, it aims to reduce carbon emissions by around 468 tonnes a year, equivalent to the CO2 absorption of about 20,000 trees.

The solar farm will be operated by Green Valley Limited (GVL) – a joint venture between Veolia, SHKP and CITIC Pacific – who manages the landfill. This initiative, with the full backing of the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), not only provides a sustainable, low-carbon energy solution but also underscores the vast potential for similar solar farms across Hong Kong, supporting the city’s transition to a low-carbon future.

The solar farm will participate in the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Scheme of CLP Power Hong Kong Limited. At the same time, SUNeVision, a subsidiary of SHKP and Hong Kong’s largest data centre provider, will purchase CLP Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) linked to the solar power generated by the solar farm. 

Speaking at the event, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan said, “The carbon emissions in Hong Kong peaked in 2014, and compared to the peak, our carbon emissions today have decreased by nearly 25%. Our carbon emissions per capita is just a quarter of those in the U.S and 60% of those in the European Union. The government has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions by half before 2035 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The 1 MW pilot solar farm project at the South East New Territories Landfill, set to be completed next year, will showcase the collaborative efforts of the public and private sectors in advancing renewable energy and achieving carbon neutrality.” 

Mr Laurent Pelletier, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Hong Kong & Macau, said, “It is a great example of collaboration between different companies from different industries, Veolia, Sun Hung Kai Properties and CITIC, with the strong support of EPD, to achieve together the decarbonization of Hong Kong. Veolia’s vision fully aligns with Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050. With our strategic program called GreenUp (2024-2027), our activities are centered around 3 main axes: depolluting, decarbonizing, and resource-regenerating solutions through various projects to assist Hong Kong in achieving its carbon neutrality. This project represents a significant step forward in local renewable energy development and environmental protection, showcasing an excellent model of utilising available land. Today’s groundbreaking ceremony marks a significant milestone for us. Veolia looks forward to working closely with the government, our partners, the community, and all stakeholders to promote Hong Kong’s comprehensive transition to a sustainable future.”

Christopher Kwok, Executive Director of SHKP, said, “SHKP has been a strong advocate of solar energy, actively promoting the installation of solar panel systems across our owned and managed sites. We currently manage more than 16,000 solar panels, the largest solar power network in the city. We are immensely grateful for the support from the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Environmental Protection Department for this project, and we are excited to see the solar farm nearing fruition. In addition to providing civil and builder’s works, we also facilitate collaboration between our companies to supply green electricity, creating a closed-loop ESG model. As a joint venture partner of GVL in developing this solar farm, we have also arranged for our subsidiary, SUNeVision, which is Hong Kong’s largest data centre operator, to acquire CLP RECs 100% linked to the solar power generated by GVL. Looking ahead, we are prepared to develop more large-scale solar farms on vacant sites, such as land under planning and landfills. We strongly believe that the private sector can make significant strides in harnessing solar energy for a sustainable future.”

This pioneering solar farm consists of over 1,800 PV panels, spanning over 100,000 square feet, and features several technological and project execution breakthroughs. The civil engineering work is carefully designed to ensure slope stability and wind load protection. The installation is specifically intended for landfill restoration, which is a unique feature that avoids damaging the landfill liner and protects leachate and landfill gas collection. Furthermore, remote power generation and solar panel performance systems are designed to monitor all operational conditions, ensuring efficient and safe operation.