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Chinachem Group (“Chinachem”) signed a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) agreement with CLPe to build Hong Kong’s first zero-carbon chiller system. The new water-cooled air conditioning system at Nina Tower will enhance energy efficiency and significantly reduce carbon emissions at the complex.

Nina Tower – the tallest construction in the New Territories – is a 180,000 square metre complex comprising one of the largest hotels in Hong Kong, office space, a shopping mall, and the wood fossil garden Nina Park. Under the 20-year agreement, CLPe will provide funding, design and engineering work to convert the existing air conditioning into an energy efficient water-cooled system. CLPe engineers will be based on site to operate and maintain the system around the clock, enabling a seamless air conditioning service for the entire complex. Chinachem Group will pay CLPe a monthly service fee throughout the contract period.

The new chiller plants have a maximum capacity of 9,300 refrigeration tonnes. Controlled by an intelligent AI management system, PlantPRO, which will draw on machine learning technology to collect and analyse data, performing real-time monitoring and adjustments to provide Nina Tower with the most energy-efficient air conditioning. The chiller plants together with the PlantPRO system will reduce the electricity consumption by over 50% compared with the existing system, equivalent to a reduction of 7,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

Under the agreement, the electricity consumed by the chiller plants at Nina Tower will be matched by an equal amount of Green Electricity Certificates linked to a renewable energy project of CLP Holdings, making it Hong Kong’s first zero-carbon chiller system. This is in line with Chinachem Group’s CCG 3050+ roadmap which is aimed at reducing carbon emissions by not less than 51.8% by 2030 compared with base year 2020.

Chinachem Group's Executive Director and CEO Donald Choi said the Group had been strongly advocating green buildings with the aim of creating a more liveable city for future generations. “Apart from ensuring that all our new projects attain the highest possible green standards, we make strenuous efforts to enhance the energy efficiency of our existing buildings and reduce their carbon emissions through retrofitting,” he noted. “Our collaboration with CLPe demonstrates our commitment to sustainable development, as well as our Triple Bottom Line philosophy which gives equal weight to People, Prosperity and Planet. ” Choi added that a five-year collaborative agreement signed with CLP Power Hong Kong Limited in 2019 had already proved very successful in increasing the energy efficiency of Nina Tower. He was looking forward to further collaboration with CLP and other partners who shared the same vision and values, so that they could work together to help Hong Kong reach its carbon neutrality targets.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, CLP Holdings Chief Executive Officer Richard Lancaster said, “Sustainability is at the heart of our business strategy. By providing sustainable energy solutions, we strive to facilitate different sectors to accelerate their decarbonisation efforts. We are excited to be partnering with Chinachem Group to launch Hong Kong’s first Zero-Carbon Chiller System project, demonstrating how the combination of technology, ingenuity, cooperation and common purpose can make a crucial difference to our carbon footprint. ” Lancaster added that he expected CLPe to continue to roll out one-stop services and value-added energy solutions to assist more customers in achieving their decarbonisation targets.

Design work for the air conditioning system is currently under way and enabling work is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year. It will be completed in phases between 2024 and 2027.