1.1
Background
Castle
Peak Power Company Limited (CAPCO), a joint venture between CLP Power Hong Kong
Limited (CLP Power) and ExxonMobil Energy Limited (EMEL), recognises the
Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSARG)’s efforts in
exploring alternative power sources, including renewable energy, and in
promoting public awareness of these alternatives. To this end, CAPCO has launched a commercial
scale wind turbine pilot demonstration ([1])
(hereafter referred to as wind turbine) to:
·
collect
engineering and environmental information (including the necessary statutory
permitting requirements) required for potential development of wind power
generation in
·
investigate
the economic, environmental and technical feasibility and practicality of wind
energy application in
·
educate
and raise the community’s
awareness of the issues, costs, constraints, benefits, etc of wind energy
generation in
The
project will take a grid-connected commercial scale wind turbine through the full
site selection and regulatory process so that the community can gain more knowledge
and experience about wind energy application in
The
construction and operation of a wind turbine in Hong Kong is classified as a Designated
Project by virtue of Item D.1 of Part I of Schedule 2 (ie
public utility electricity power plant) under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap. 499) (EIAO)
and will therefore require an Environmental Permit.
This
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report addresses the nature and extent of
the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation
of a commercial scale wind turbine and associated equipment at Hei Ling Chau (hereafter referred
to as the Project).
This
EIA Study is conducted in accordance with the Study Brief (No. ESB-145/2006).
The objectives of the EIA Study, as stated
in the Study Brief,
are:
·
to describe the Project and associated works together
with the requirements and environmental benefits for carrying out the Project;
·
to provide information on the consideration of
alternatives to avoid or reduce the potential environmental impacts to the
ecological sensitive areas and other sensitive uses; to compare the
environmental benefits and dis-benefits of each of
the different options; to provide reasons for selecting the preferred option(s)
and to describe the part of environmental factors played in the selection;
·
to identify and describe elements of community and
environment likely to be affected by the Project and/or likely to cause adverse
impacts to the Project, including natural and man-made environment and the
associated environmental constraints;
·
to identify and quantify emission sources and determine
the significance of impacts on sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
·
to identify and quantify any potential landscape and
visual impacts and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
·
to identify and quantify any potential losses or damage
and other potential impacts to flora, fauna and natural habitats and to propose
measures to mitigate these impacts;
·
to identify any negative impacts on sites of cultural
heritage and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
·
to propose the provision of mitigation measures to reduce
pollution, environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation
of the Project;
·
to investigate the feasibility, practicability,
effectiveness and implications of the proposed mitigation measures;
·
to identify, predict and evaluate the residual
environmental impacts (i.e. after practicable mitigation) and the cumulative
effects expected to arise during the construction and operation of the Project
in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
·
to identify, assess and specify methods, measures and
standards, to be included in the detailed design, construction and operation of
the Project which are necessary to mitigate these environmental impacts and
cumulative effects and reduce them to acceptable levels;
·
to investigate the extent of the secondary environmental
impacts that may arise from the proposed mitigation measures and to identify
constraints associated with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA
study, as well as the provision of any necessary modification; and
·
to design and specify environmental monitoring and audit requirements
to ensure the effective implementation of the recommended environmental
protection and pollution control measures.
As specified by the EIA Study Brief, the EIA
has addressed the following key environmental issues associated with the
construction and operation of the Project.
·
The potential noise pollution
impacts on nearby sensitive receivers during construction and operation of the
Project;
·
The potential
ecological impact arising from the construction and operation of the Project,
including loss of habitats and disturbance to wildlife, especially the Bogadek’s Burrowing Lizard (Dibamus bogadeki), and the
potential risk to any animal(s), especially terrestrial and marine organisms
during construction and birds during the operation of the wind turbine system;
·
The potential
landscape and visual impacts on existing and planned sensitive receivers during
the construction and operation of the Project;
·
The potential water quality
impacts during the construction stage of the Project;
·
The potential waste
impacts during the construction stage of the Project; and
·
The potential
cultural heritage impact during the construction of the Project.
The
remainder of this EIA Report is organised as follows:
·
Section 2
presents a description of the site selection process and the consideration
given to alternative site layouts, and the delivery modes and routes of
construction materials and equipments;
·
Section 3
presents a description of the Project;
·
Section 4 presents
the noise assessment;
·
Section 5 presents
the ecological assessment;
·
Section 6 presents
the landscape and visual impact assessment
·
Section 7 presents
the water quality assessment for the construction phase of the Project;
·
Section 8 presents
an assessment of the waste management implications of the construction of the
Project;
·
Section 9 presents
the cultural heritage impact assessment;
·
Section 10 describes
the requirements for environmental monitoring and audit during the construction
and operation of the Project; and
·
Section 11 summarises
the environmental outcomes associated with the construction and operation of
the Project.
Annex A1 Terrain Profiles
Annex A2 Construction Plant Inventory and Construction Noise Calculation
Annex A3 Sound Power Level of Wind Turbine
Annex A4 Predication of Operational Noise Impact
Annex B List of Floral and Faunal Species Recorded within the Study Area
Annex C1 Photographic Record for Historical Buildings
Annex C2 Archaeological Survey Findings
Annex D Implementation Schedule
Annex E List of Stakeholder Meetings Held During the Site Selection Process
and EIA Study
Contents
1.1 Background 1-1
1.2 Objectives of
the Study 1-1
1.3 Structure of
the Report 1-3
([1]) This
pilot demonstration covers the development of a commercial scale wind turbine on
land in