1.1
Background
Castle Peak Power Company Limited (CAPCO),
a joint venture between CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP) and ExxonMobil Energy
Limited (EMEL), is proposing the development of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
Receiving Terminal in the Hong Kong SAR.
The facility will provide the infrastructure for a sustainable supply of
natural gas (NG), primarily to fuel CAPCO’s power
plant at Black Point. CAPCO initiated
preliminary site search and environmental studies in 2003. Subsequent meetings and discussions with
Government and other stakeholders commenced in 2004. The EIA report for the project, which is
covered by this Executive Summary, is the outcome of several years’ of informal
and formal discussion between CAPCO, Government and non Government
stakeholders. To ensure adequate public
input, more than 350 seminars, meetings, workshops and exhibitions have been
held with key stakeholders and the community.
1.2
Purpose and
Nature of the Project
The Project will provide a replacement for
the gas currently supplied to CAPCO from the Yacheng
gas field, which is expected to be depleted by early in the next decade. The project involves the construction and
operation of a LNG receiving terminal and associated facilities at either South Soko Island
or Black Point. The receiving terminal
will provide a facility for receiving and unloading of LNG carriers, onshore
LNG storage, LNG regasification, and a pipeline for
transporting natural gas (regasified LNG) to the
existing Black Point Power Station (BPPS).
For the South Soko
option, the natural gas will be sent via a submarine gas pipeline to a Gas
Receiving Station (GRS) at BPPS. For the
Black Point option the connection to BPPS will be via a short onshore pipeline
within the boundaries of the proposed terminal and the power station. For both site locations, the principal
natural gas user will be CAPCO.
1.3
Purpose and Scope
of this EIA
The following elements of the Project
addressed in this EIA Report are classified as Designated Projects under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance
(Cap. 499) (EIAO).
For both the South Soko
Island and Black Point
options:
·
Construction
of a storage facility for LNG with a storage capacity of more than 200 tonnes
(item L.2 of Part I of Schedule 2 of EIAO);
·
Dredging operation for the approach
channel and turning circle that exceeds 500,000 m3 (item C.12 of Part I of Schedule 2 of EIAO).
For
the South Soko Island option only:
·
Installation
of a submarine gas pipeline connecting the proposed LNG terminal at the South Soko Island
and the Black Point Power Station (item H.2
of Part I
of Schedule 2 of EIAO);
·
Dredging
operation for the installation of a submarine power cable connecting Shek Pik with South
Soko. The works at Shek
Pik will be less than 500m from the nearest boundary
of an existing Site of Cultural Heritage (item C.12(a) of Part I of Schedule 2 of EIAO); and,
·
Potential dredging operation for the installation
of a submarine water main connecting Shek Pik Reservoir with the proposed LNG terminal at South Soko which is less than 500m from the nearest boundary of
an existing Site of Cultural Heritage (item C.12(a)
of Part I of Schedule 2 of EIAO).
For the Black Point option only:
·
Reclamation
works (including associated dredging works) of more than 5 ha in size (item
C.1 of Part I of Schedule 2 of EIAO).
The EIA has been prepared by ERM-Hong
Kong, Ltd (ERM) for CAPCO in accordance with the EIA Study Brief (No. ESB-126/2005) , issued in June 2005, and the Technical Memorandum of the Environmental
Impact Assessment Process (EIAO-TM).
The purpose of this EIA Study has been to
provide information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising
from the construction and operation of the Project and related activities that
take place concurrently. This
information will contribute to decisions by the Director of the Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) on:
·
the overall acceptability of any
adverse environmental consequences that may arise as a result of the Project
and the associated activities of the Project;
·
the conditions and requirements for
the detailed design, construction and
operation of the Project to mitigate against adverse environmental
consequences; and
·
the acceptability of residual
environmental impacts after the proposed mitigation measures are implemented.
The detailed requirements of the EIA
studies of each site are set out in the EIA
Study Brief.
1.4
What is LNG?
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is the liquid
form of natural gas, the main component of which is methane. In the liquefied form, at atmospheric
pressure, LNG occupies only 1/600th of its volume at gaseous state
under normal temperature and atmospheric pressure and is therefore more
economical to store and transport over long distances in contrast to the
traditional pipeline delivery of natural gas.
LNG is produced by cooling natural gas to
-162 °C (-260 °F) through a liquefaction process. Prior to cooling and condensing the natural
gas into LNG, impurities such as carbon dioxide, water and sulphur are
removed. The end result of this process
is an odourless, colourless fuel consisting mostly of methane (approximate range
85% to 99%) with small amounts of ethane, propane, butane and pentane.
Large scale LNG trade began in 1964, with
the UK
as the importing country. Since then, the LNG industry has built up globally
and in 2005 there were 13 countries producing (liquefying) LNG and 15
importing/receiving (re-gasifying) LNG. The world’s
four largest producers in 2005 were Indonesia
(17% global production), Malaysia
(15%), Qatar (14%) and Algeria (13%).
1.5
The Need for a
LNG Receiving Terminal in Hong Kong
1.5.1
Introduction
Since 1996 with the commissioning of the
Black Point Power Station (BPPS), natural gas has been an important component
of CAPCO's fuel supply. Use of natural gas has delivered significant
environmental benefits as well as added diversity to the fuel mix used for
electricity generation, thereby enhancing the security of electricity
generation.
Fuel diversity has enabled air emissions
reductions to be achieved while maintaining competitive tariffs and world-class
reliability in the supply of electricity.
Often taken for granted, these factors are key contributors to Hong Kong’s quality of life, competitiveness in the
global market, and ability to attract investment. Businesses in Hong Kong
ranging from large multi-national companies to small local shops are all
dependent on a cost-competitive and uninterrupted supply of electricity.
There are a
number of benefits to utilising natural gas as a fuel in power generation,
including:
·
Proven
Use in Power Generation:
Natural gas has been employed in the combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT)
at BPPS which has enabled this facility to have higher thermal efficiency than
coal or oil fired power stations with the same generating capacity.
·
Adequate
Reserves Available:
World gas reserves are large and LNG technology makes them available to
consumers in locations remote from existing sources. This, along with coal and nuclear
capabilities, continues to provide a diverse fuel supply to CAPCO.
·
Environmental
Benefits: Natural gas is one of the cleanest and most
efficient forms of energy available, producing virtually no particulates and
less nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon
dioxide (CO2 than other fossil fuels. Since sulphur is almost entirely removed in
the liquefaction process, combustion of regasified
LNG emits negligible amounts of sulphur dioxide (SO2).
The
Government’s environmental policy includes the control of emissions from
existing power stations in Hong Kong. Central to this effort is the use of natural
gas. The recognition of the role of
natural gas in emission control was affirmed by the Government in the 2005-06
Policy Address ():
|
“61. To fully achieve the
emissions reduction targets in 2010, we have asked the power companies to …
use natural gas for power generation as much as possible.
|
1.5.2
The Need for a New Gas Supply
Extensive technical studies carried out by
consultants substantiate that the existing source of CAPCO’s
gas supply, the Yacheng field off Hainan Island
in the South China Sea, will be depleted early
in the next decade, depending upon the rate of offtake
and actual reserve levels. Consequently,
a reliable new source of natural gas is required as a successor to Yacheng.
As Black Point
Power Station (BPPS) provides about 25% of Hong Kong’s total electricity needs,
having a reliable supply of natural gas that fuels this power station is
critical for maintaining Hong Kong’s
electricity supply. In the event that
gas is not available to BPPS, CAPCO will need to meet electricity demand by a
higher reliance on coal-fired generation , which will increase emissions beyond
existing levels and Government's targets.
Although the BPPS is able to use diesel as a fuel, this capability is
designed only for short term emergency backup use ().
Under such
circumstances, Hong Kong consumers could be
exposed to supply interruptions or power rationing. Therefore, the absence of a replacement gas
supply will not only entail an environmental impact in terms of air emissions
but it will also compromise Hong Kong’s
electricity supply reliability.
Given Hong Kong’s total dependence on imported fuel and the
necessity of a quality replacement gas supply, it is vital to have a clear
understanding of the requirements for supply of this important fuel in order to
assess the various replacement options.
There are five fundamental requirements of the replacement gas supply,
namely
1.
Certainty of
timely availability: Given the
depletion of the Yacheng field early next decade,
CAPCO must have absolute certainty that replacement gas will be available on
time.
2.
Supply security
for Hong Kong: Gas is a vital part of CAPCO/CLP’s fuel mix and security of gas supply is essential to
continued electricity reliability in Hong Kong. The required supply security can be provided
by:
a.
priority for CAPCO ’s gas requirements,
b.
diversification of supply; and
c.
gas supply chain managed by companies with proven
track records for operating in line with industry best practices.
3.
Adequate volume
and flexibility: CAPCO’s
LNG requirement for its current gas-fired generation facilities is about 2.6
million tonnes per annum (MTA), which represents roughly 75% of Hong Kong’s gas demand.
The replacement supply must be able to meet this initial requirement as
well as the following:
a.
meet gas demand growth in future years as a result of
Government’s environmental initiatives and Hong Kong’s
electricity demand growth;
b.
provide the flexibility for CAPCO to meet seasonal
demand patterns and the power plants’ operational requirements; and
c.
enable a smooth transition from Yacheng
gas.
4.
Competitive
supply: CAPCO is competing with numerous other buyers in a
highly competitive marketplace for quality supplies of LNG. For CAPCO to attract suppliers and achieve the
best possible terms on behalf of its electricity consumers, the procurement
process must be structured efficiently so as to demonstrate the financial and
operational strengths of CAPCO as a buyer able to undertake long term
commitments and demonstrate Hong Kong as a
sustainable market.
5.
High environmental
and safety standards: CAPCO is
committed to responsible environmental management and safe operations. The replacement supply source and its
suppliers must perform to internationally acceptable environmental and safety
standards.
1.6
Replacement Gas
Supply Alternatives
Given the importance of the availability
of replacement gas to Hong Kong, CAPCO has
carefully explored and evaluated the possible alternatives to fulfill this fuel supply requirement. Five potential alternatives have been
identified. Each has been systematically
evaluated against Hong Kong’s requirements as
discussed below.
1. Import gas via pipeline from a nearby gas field: The South China Sea
contains only limited discovered reserves of natural gas, with the majority of
these gas reserves being exploited.
These fields are significantly smaller than Yacheng,
are of varying qualities, and have been committed to identified customers (Dongfang and Ledong – committed
to Hainan, Panyu and
Huizhou – targeted to Zhuhai). Given the above, importing gas from any of
the proven South China Sea fields is not feasible because there is insufficient
supply available to meet CAPCO’s and Hong Kong’s long-term needs. In 2006, there are reports of what could be a significant deep water gas
discovery in the South China Sea At
present, information is very preliminary and insufficient to assess whether
this deep water field is commercially viable and can play a role in CAPCO’s future gas supply.
However, historically progressing a deepwater gas project from discovery
to production has taken 8 to 14 years.
For example, although not a deepwater project, the Yacheng
13-1 gas field took 12 years from discovery to start-up. This would be an unacceptably long timeframe
for CAPCO's replacement gas supply.
2.
Import Natural Gas (NG) via the Guangdong
Dapeng LNG terminal (GDLNG):
The GDLNG terminal in Shenzhen,
China’s first
LNG terminal, was commissioned this year.
GDLNG's initial capacity of 3.7MTA and supply
are fully committed to its founding shareholders, including Guangdong gas users, Hong Kong Electric and
Hong Kong & China Gas. CAPCO
assessed the option and understands that the
additional capacity from expansion of the terminal will be dedicated to Guangdong gas users with
unknown timing.
3.
Import NG via a proposed LNG terminal in
mainland China:
Recently, two LNG terminals have been proposed in the Zhuhai area, one to serve Zhuhai
and the other to serve Macau. However these terminals are both in the early
planning stages. Based on meetings with
these projects sponsors and CAPCO’s due diligence
reviews, there is no certainty that these terminals will be completed in time
and be available to meet CAPCO's needs. Furthermore, these terminals would be located
at a greater distance from the Black Point Power Station as compared to a Hong Kong terminal, and this would require a longer sub
sea pipeline with increased ecological and cost impacts. If either of these terminals are to be
considered for supplying Hong Kong in addition
to their target markets, project execution will be exceedingly complex,
involving several permitting jurisdictions requiring additional time for
project completion. For example, the
Guangdong Dapeng LNG (GDLNG) terminal took around 10
years from project planning to terminal commissioning in 2006.
Of even greater importance, LNG supply cannot
be secured without a clear execution plan for a receiving terminal that ensures
the terminal will be ready to receive the first LNG shipments. This is particularly important when LNG
supply is in a very competitive market, where LNG suppliers select buyers with
both proven market certainty and a well defined terminal execution plan. CAPCO
has been engaged in negotiations for over a year with LNG suppliers and is in a
good position to secure LNG supply.
These discussions will be jeopardised if plans were switched to a
mainland receiving terminal with no demonstrated engineering and environmental
feasibility and uncertain timing and approvals.
4.
Importing LNG via a new terminal in Hong
Kong: CAPCO has been progressing development activities
for a LNG terminal in Hong Kong since
2003. Having completed engineering and
environmental feasibility studies, CAPCO has concluded that constructing a LNG
receiving terminal in Hong Kong will be able
to meet CAPCO’s timing and supply requirements in
order to replace the depleting Yacheng field. For example, extensive site investigation
work, preliminary engineering as well as the pipeline route survey have been
completed. The 18-month EIA process has
also reached a major milestone with the submission of this EIA study. Consultation with Government and the public
has been ongoing since 2004. Discussions
with LNG suppliers and LNG shipping providers are also underway. In short, CAPCO’s
development of the Hong Kong LNG terminal is now at an advanced stage to meet
the 2011 timing. An LNG terminal located
entirely within Hong Kong enables smoother and
faster project development under a single jurisdiction with clear policy and
regulations. Similar advantages are
offered by CAPCO’s well established commercial
structure under the Scheme of Control (SoC). Given the expected gas depletion by early in
the next decade and an LNG Terminal requirement date of 2011, CAPCO is
progressing the development of a Hong Kong
terminal as the only viable alternative.
5.
No action or defer decision: As noted
previously with BPPS providing about 25% of Hong Kong’s total electricity
needs, having a reliable supply of natural gas that fuels this power station is
critical for maintaining Hong Kong’s electricity supply. In the event that gas is not available to
BPPS, CAPCO will need to meet electricity demand by a higher reliance on
coal-fired generation which will increase emissions beyond existing levels and
Governments targets and would not be sufficient to meet electricity
demand. For example, a one year
delay in obtaining a replacement gas supply would result in an incremental
60,000 tons of SO2, NOx, and
particulates. Under such
circumstances, in order to meet Government emission targets, Hong
Kong consumers would be exposed to possible power cuts or
rationing.
There must be a degree of certainty to the
arrival of a replacement gas supply by 2011.
Of the five options evaluated, the alternative that offers the highest
degree of certainty for a replacement gas supply within this timeframe is to
import LNG via a new terminal in Hong Kong. Following the due process, once an
Environmental Permit is obtained which is anticipated for early 2007, and with
timely progress on regulatory regime resolution and other key approvals, CAPCO
will be able to enter into a long term LNG supply commitment. This will allow sufficient time for the
construction of the LNG supply chain and ensure Yacheng
replacement by 2011. CAPCO cannot commit
to buy and no seller will commit to sell LNG to CAPCO if the availability of
the Hong Kong terminal in 2011 is in
doubt.
In summary, the absence or delay of a
replacement gas supply will not only entail an environmental impact but will
also compromise Hong Kong’s electricity supply
reliability.
1.6.1
Summary Comparison of Alternatives Against
Hong Kong’s Requirements
The analysis reveals that a Hong Kong LNG
receiving terminal is the only option that is capable of fully meeting the
requirement of a replacement gas supply with respect to timing, security of
supply, volume adequacy and flexibility, and competitiveness (Table 1). Moreover, there are other external benefits
to Hong Kong flowing from the project as a Hong Kong terminal will provide
construction and operation jobs in Hong Kong
as well as tax and land grant revenues for the Government. With energy issues high on government agendas
internationally, the LNG terminal will be a strategic asset for Hong Kong as it will provide the means of access to
global natural gas supplies. Now that
engineering and environmental feasibility studies have been completed, and with
timely progress on regulatory regime resolution and other key approvals, a
terminal in Hong Kong can be completed by 2011
to meet CAPCO’s requirements. CAPCO believes the Hong Kong LNG receiving
terminal is the only viable solution available to ensure a reliable electricity
supply for Hong Kong.
1.7
Consideration of
Alternative Site Locations
CAPCO conducted a preliminary evaluation
of the options for a LNG receiving terminal in Hong Kong which included a
Gravity Based Structure, Floating Storage Regasification
Unit, Artificial Island and Coastal Location. Due to insufficient storage, lack of suitable
locations, relatively new technology, high cost and lengthy construction time,
the assessment concluded that a coastal location was cost effective and the
only viable option for a receiving terminal in Hong Kong that could reliably
supply natural gas to the Black Point Power Station all year round and meet the
target of first gas delivery in 2011.
Over the following twenty four months, an
alternative site location study
encompassing 29 sites was conducted to determine the most suitable
coastal site(s) in Hong Kong for the LNG
terminal. A phased approach to the
screening and assessment of sites within Hong Kong
was conducted, including periodic consultation with Government via an
Environmental Study Management Group (ESMG).
Environmental sensitive receivers (e.g., existing Country
Parks, Marine
Parks, Fish Culture Zones, Gazetted Beaches) were screened out in the early
phases to aid in avoiding environmental impacts. The results of this Hong Kong wide site
location study indicated that, from a long list of 29 locations across Hong
Kong, two sites offered the best potential for further analysis based on
environmental, risk, planning, social, marine traffic and engineering
criteria. The two preferred sites were South Soko Island,
at the location of the former Detention Centre, and Black Point, on the
headland adjacent to the existing power station (BPPS) (Figure 1.1).
Figure 1.1 Location of South Soko and Black Point Candidate Sites for the
LNG Terminal
1.8
What is Required to Bring LNG to Hong
Kong
1.8.1
The LNG Supply Chain Requires Long Term
Planning
The LNG industry can be described by an
LNG value chain consisting of 5 key elements (Figure 1.2):
·
Exploration,
development and production of gas
·
Liquefaction
·
Shipping
·
Storage
and Regasification
·
End
use (e.g. power generation)
Each of these elements has its own
technological and investment requirements, but they share a common
characteristic. They all require long
project lead time and significant resources and investment commitment. Each element of the chain must be carefully
planned and integrated with other elements; hence the supply chain requires
long-term sales and purchase relationships between each participant. The whole process is referred to as the LNG
Supply Chain and is illustrated in Figure 1.2.
Figure 1.2 LNG Supply Chain
1.8.2
LNG Receiving Terminal
Near the end of the supply chain is the
receiving terminal. The key components
of the proposed LNG terminal include marine jetty facilities for unloading LNG,
special tanks for LNG storage, equipment for converting the LNG back to gas,
utilities and other infrastructure. LNG
tanks are specially designed to contain the LNG at a temperature of
approximately -162 °C near atmospheric pressure (Figure 1.3).
Figure
1.3 Example of a
Full Containment LNG Storage Tank
1.8.3
LNG Carriers
LNG carriers have insulated cargo tanks and are of
double-hull design. The double hull
provides the location for the segregated ballast and provides optimum
protection for the integrity of the cargo tank containment in the unlikely
event of collision or grounding. There
are two types of LNG carriers: Moss
and Membrane. Moss LNG carriers have four or five spherical tanks
contained in the hull, with a substantial proportion of each tank above the
weather deck. In a membrane design the
larger proportion of each tank is below the weather deck (Figures 1.4). Both carrier types are
commonly utilized for LNG transit with no significant operational difference
between them.
Figure 1.4 Moss
and Membrane LNG Carriers
LNG
shipping has an outstanding safety record, with over 60,000 LNG carrier
voyages, covering more than 90 million miles, and over 40 years of operation
without a failure or loss of cargo. This
excellent safety record can be attributed to the high technical standards
employed in the design, construction and operation of LNG facilities and
carriers and also the physical properties of LNG. In part, the safety record is a result of the
adoption worldwide of a series of standards, codes, regulations, and operating
procedures and practices. For example,
these extra measures that will be applied in Hong Kong include daylight only
transit, use of two local pilots in addition to the Ship's Master while
transiting in Hong Kong, and between two and four escort tugs at all times.
2.1
Project
Description
It is proposed that the LNG terminal will
be located on 36.5 ha of land located in the centre of South Soko
Island. The majority of the terminal’s facilities
will be located on land that was developed in the late 1980s as a Detention
Centre. The Detention Centre was
demolished in the mid 1990s and what remains is a series of cut slopes, access
roads and paths coming from the large concrete platform in the centre of the
island. In order to locate all of the
necessary equipment for the terminal, reclamation totalling less than 0.6
hectares will be required in Sai Wan. Seawall modifications will also be required
at South Soko which
will occupy 1.1 ha of artificial and natural coastline. The key elements of the LNG terminal are
presented in the preliminary layout on Figure 2.1 and include:
·
Jetty
including unloading arms located on the southeast coast of south Soko Island capable of accommodating LNG carriers with
capacities ranging from 125,000 m3 up to a class of 215,000 m3;
·
Process
Area;
·
Three
full containment cryogenic LNG Tanks (capacity of up to 180,000 m3
each);
·
Low
Pressure and High Pressure pumping systems;
·
Vaporization
(Re-gasification) Area;
·
Seawater
intake and outfall systems;
·
Vents
(low pressure and high pressure);
·
Ancillary
features: (Guard House, Maintenance Workshop, Administration Building,
Utility Area, Control Room);
·
In
order to deliver the regasified natural gas from the
terminal to BPPS, a 38 km long submarine gas pipeline (provisional alignment as
shown in Figure
2.2) will be constructed;
·
A gas
receiving station is required at the BPPS to receive the gas and send it on to
the power station;
·
Submarine
power cable and water main to connect the terminal to electricity and water
supply sources on Lantau Island;
·
Provision
of gas turbines for onsite power generation requirements at South Soko
Island.
The LNG terminal will be designed and operated
according to the European Standard EN 1473 – Installation and Equipment for
Liquefied Natural Gas - Design of Onshore Installations.
The LNG carrier will access the site via
the southern approaches to Hong Kong waters before berthing at South Soko. Dredging work (approximately 1 Mm3)
will be required to provide the necessary approach to the jetty and for a
turning circle for the LNG carrier. The
marine transit route is presented in Figure
2.3.
Figure 2.3 Location of South Soko LNG Carrier Transit Route
2.2
Consideration of
Different Layouts, Design Options & Construction Methods
An assessment was conducted to investigate
the environmental considerations of each preliminary layout and design option,
as well as to examine in-depth the applicable engineering aspects. The preferred layout that was taken forward
to the EIA stage was based on locating the terminal in the centre of South Soko Island
with the LNG receiving jetty on the south eastern coast. This layout was prepared following discussions
with stakeholders including members of the Advisory Council on the Environment
and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) during site visits to South Soko Island. This layout provides many significant
environmental benefits when compared to earlier layouts examined, and aids in
avoiding environmental impacts to the maximum practical extent. Key environmental benefits include:
·
Reduction
in dredging volumes (from approximately 5 Mm3 to 1.32 Mm3
at the terminal site) with reduced impacts to water quality, fisheries and
marine ecology through adoption of partially dredged site formation works.
·
Avoidance
of substantial dredging in the sensitive area between North and South Soko Islands.
·
Reduction
in reclamation from 13 ha to approximately 0.6 ha which reduces impacts to
water quality, fisheries and marine ecological sensitive receivers.
·
The
amount of natural coastline lost to reclamation works has been reduced from
over 1 km to approximately 300 m which in turn reduces impacts to marine
ecological sensitive receivers.
·
By
locating the terminal facilities in the centre of the island the disturbance to
natural habitats on the island has been reduced and the view of the storage
tanks from visual sensitive receivers on Lantau Island is in part obscured.
In
addition to the above, construction methods will be adopted including the use
of a bubble jacket to reduce underwater sound levels during marine percussive
piling work for the construction of the jetty and deployment of silt curtains
during dredging operations at specific locations.
2.3
Consideration of
Pipeline Alignment
Various route options for the South Soko-BPPS gas pipeline have been examined. The assessment concluded overland routes
across Lantau will have the greatest potential
impacts for water quality, ecological and landscape impacts within the Country
Parks (North Lantau and South Lantau) and along the roads in Lantau and are not preferred. A tunnel option through Lantau
has been examined and although it will avoid most of the land-based sensitive
receivers, it also presents more drawbacks with respect to the offshore option
(Base Case). These include:
·
larger
volumes of waste materials (primarily excavated rock);
·
greater
permanent loss of natural habitats (marine and terrestrial);
·
long term
landscape and visual impacts;
·
potential
impacts on the Tai Long Wan and Sham Wat archaeological sites;
·
potential disturbance to Country Parks
as a result of the site investigation activities;
·
water
quality impacts due to the dredging and reclamation of the tunnel portal
working areas; and,
·
a
longer construction schedule (resulting in a 15 month delay in first gas).
Based on these environmental and
unacceptable schedule drawbacks, it is not considered a viable option for the
pipeline construction.
The assessment concluded that due to the
short-term and transient nature of the water quality and marine ecological
impacts, a completely marine route is preferred. The marine route also avoids additional
ecological, noise, air, cultural heritage, waste, landscape and visual impacts
to land based sensitive receivers. In
addition, construction methods have been designed to reduce the impacts in
sensitive marine mammal habitat, including restricted working hours, controlling
construction rates, and avoiding peak calving periods for specific works.
2.4
Air Quality
Two (2) Air Sensitive Receivers (ASR) were
identified (Shek Pik Prison
and the administration building for the Black Point Power Station) and the
potential impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of the LNG
terminal to these ASRs have been evaluated.
No exceedance of the Air Quality Objective
(AQO) is anticipated at the ASRs and therefore no air quality monitoring will
be required for either the construction or operational phase.
2.5
Noise
No Noise Sensitive Receivers (NSRs)
have been found on South Soko and the nearest NSR has
been identified on Lantau Island
(Shek Pik Prison) which is
located approximately 6 km away from the site.
The predicted construction noise levels are within the stipulated noise
criterion of 75 dB(A). The noise levels generated from the
equipment during the operation of the LNG terminal are within daytime and
night-time noise criteria.
2.6
Water Quality
Sensitive receivers potentially affected by the construction
and operational activities of the LNG terminal have been identified and the
potential impacts on them evaluated. The
key sensitive receivers include marine mammal habitat, the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine
Park, commercial
fisheries spawning/rearing habitat, fish culture zones, ecologically sensitive
areas, beaches and water intakes.
The
assessment, utilising water quality and hydrodynamic models, has included the
potential impacts caused by marine works (i.e. dredging, reclamation, pipeline and
utilities installation) on water quality due to the increases in suspended
sediments concentrations, potential decreases in dissolved oxygen and increases
in nutrients concentration, as well as those caused by operational activities
such as the alteration of the hydrodynamic regime, discharges of cooled water
and antifoulants.
Potential
impacts arising from the proposed dredging, backfilling and jetting works are
predicted to be mainly confined to the specific works areas. Modelling results indicate that the suspended
solids elevations as a result of dredging and jetting for the installation of the submarine utilities
are expected to be compliant with the assessment criteria at
all point specific sensitive receivers in both seasons. In the few exceptions in which the modelling
results indicate elevations above the criteria (i.e. open waters in western
part of Lantau and open waters around South Soko during dredging activities) these are of short
duration (typically less than one day) and not considered sufficient to cause
an unacceptable deterioration of water quality.
The elevation predicted at Pak Tso Wan beach
and at the False Pillow Coral location can be mitigated through the adoption of
silt curtains. Hence it is anticipated
that such elevations above the criteria would be temporary and unacceptable
impacts would be unlikely to arise.
Overall the predicted elevations of suspended sediment concentrations
during the construction phase are transient in nature and not predicted to
cause adverse impacts to water quality at the sensitive receivers.
During the
operation phase, adverse impacts to water quality are not expected to occur as
the area affected by the cooled water and antifoulants
discharge is extremely small and in the direct vicinity of the discharge point.
Exceedances of water
quality standards at sensitive receivers have largely been avoided during the
construction phase through the selection of acceptable working rates and
methods for the marine works (i.e., dredging/jetting operational measures and
deployment of silt curtains at specific locations) and appropriate on-site land
based controls. Water quality monitoring
and auditing is recommended for the construction phase.
As
no unacceptable impacts have been predicted to occur during the operation of
the LNG terminal at South
Soko Island, no mitigation measures or
monitoring are considered necessary.
2.7
Waste Management
The
potential impacts of waste management caused by construction and operational
activities of the LNG terminal and its associated facilities at South Soko have been
assessed. The key potential impacts during the construction
phase are related to waste generated from site clearance, site formation,
blasting, dredging, reclamation, seawall construction, filling and concreting. The storage, handling, collection, transport,
disposal and/or re-utilisation of these materials and their associated
environmental impacts have been the primary focus of the assessment and
measures proposed to facilitate their management. Impacts associated with the storage,
handling, collection, transport and disposal of waste produced during
operational activities have been estimated to be manageable and meet the
criteria specified in the EIAO-TM.
2.8
Terrestrial
Ecology
The
potential impacts to terrestrial ecology caused by construction and operational
activities of the LNG terminal at South Soko have been assessed. The
terrestrial habitats and wildlife on South
Soko Island were characterised through the
conduct of seasonal surveys during 2004, 2005 and 2006. The surveys covered habitats, vegetation and
general wildlife (including mammals, avifauna, herpetofauna,
dragonflies, butterflies, aquatic fauna).
The terrestrial ecological resources
recorded on South
Soko Island comprise secondary woodland and plantation,
shrubland, grassland, backshore shrubland,
seasonal stream, abandoned wet agricultural land, abandoned dry agricultural
land, abandoned reservoir and disturbed areas, with their associated
wildlife. Of these habitats, a small
patch of secondary woodland in the Project Area has moderate ecological
importance. The rest of secondary
woodland and plantation, shrubland, abandoned wet
agricultural land and seasonal stream have low to moderate ecological
importance. The remaining habitats are
of low or negligible ecological importance.
The LNG terminal and its associated
facilities will be located mainly in habitats of low ecological value such as
the already disturbed areas which were formerly part of the now demolished
Detention Centre. The construction
impact on the natural habitats and associated wildlife is considered to be
manageable, and no adverse residual impact is expected after the implementation
of the recommended mitigation measures.
Mitigation measures include the
transplantation of individuals of the orchid Golden Eulophia
as well as compensatory tree planting on South Soko.
After transplantation and planting, monitoring will be undertaken to
check the performance and health conditions of the individuals. No adverse residual impact is expected after
implementation of these measures.
During the operational phase, adverse
impacts are not expected to occur.
Therefore, no terrestrial ecology monitoring will be required.
2.9
Marine Ecology
In order to characterise the marine ecological resources
in areas potentially affected by the Project, a series of detailed seasonal
field surveys were conducted during 2004, 2005 and 2006 examining the organisms
present on intertidal and subtidal
shores and within the soft seabed around South Soko
Island and along the gas
pipeline route. Land (12 months in 2004
- 2005) and vessel (July 2005 to May 2006) based marine mammal surveys were
also conducted around South
Soko Island and along the submarine gas
pipeline and submarine utility alignments.
The waters and coastal areas of West Lantau and Southwest Lantau
including the Soko Island group, which are located
away from the major population centres of Hong Kong,
have been considered by some academics, government and green groups to be a
general area of high ecological value including from a marine perspective. However, it is important to note that there
are significant spatial variations in the ecological values and characteristics
within this large area which encompasses the smaller Study Area.
Ecologically sensitive receivers have been identified
and the potential impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of
the LNG terminal on them have been evaluated.
The key sensitive receivers include habitats of the Indo-pacific
Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) and Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides), the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine
Park and other
ecologically sensitive areas such as spawning and nursery grounds and coral
habitat.
As previously discussed, the layout
selected for South
Soko Island reduces reclamation to
approximately 0.6 ha of Sai Wan bay. Coastline disturbance for modification of the
seawalls is limited to approximately 300 m of natural coastline. The area of seawall modification is 1.1 ha
which includes both natural and artificial coastlines. As a result of the small size of habitat
directly affected by the works and the previous history of reclamation along
this particular coastline, the impacts are classified as acceptable.
The results of the water quality modelling
activities indicate that indirect impacts arising from the marine works will
generally be transient and confined to the works areas and compliant with the
assessment criteria after implementation of mitigation measures. It is therefore predicted that there will be
no unacceptable impacts to the marine ecology (including marine mammals) of the
Study Area as a result of the LNG terminal’s construction activities.
Unacceptable
impacts to marine ecology sensitive receivers have been addressed through the adoption
of mitigation measures including the provision of rubble mound/armour rock seawalls on the edges of the
reclamations to facilitate colonisation by intertidal
and subtidal organisms. Specific mitigation measures have been
designed to minimize impacts on marine mammals including restrictions on vessel
speed and the use of predefined and regular routes by all marine vessels
involved in the Project. The mitigation
measures designed to mitigate impacts to water quality to acceptable levels
(compliance with assessment criteria) are also expected to mitigate impacts to
marine ecological resources.
No adverse residual ecological impact is
expected following the implementation of the mitigation measures.
Unacceptable impacts from discharges of
cooled water and antifoulants are not anticipated to
occur, as they will be localised to the direct vicinity of the outfall, will
remain predominantly in the bed layer and will not affect ecological sensitive
receivers.
2.10
Fisheries
The
potential impacts to commercial fisheries caused by construction and
operational activities of the LNG terminal and its associated facilities at South Soko have been assessed
using the findings of literature reviews and surveys of ichthyoplankton
and fish larvae in southern waters.
The Water Quality modelling activities
indicate that the impacts arising from the proposed dredging or jetting works
are predicted to be largely confined to the specific works areas and the
predicted elevations in suspended sediment concentrations are not predicted to
cause large area exceedances of the assessment
criterion. Adverse impacts to fishing
grounds or species of importance to the fisheries are therefore not expected to
occur.
Unacceptable impacts from discharges of
cooled water are not anticipated to occur as the effects from these discharges
will be localised to the lower layers of the water column in direct vicinity of
the outfall. Compliance with the
relevant discharge standards to control water quality impacts to within
acceptable levels is expected to control impacts to fisheries resources.
2.11
Landscape and
Visual Impact
The potential impacts to the landscape and
visual sensitive receivers caused by the presence of the LNG terminal at South Soko have been
assessed. The assessment has covered a
wide range of potential landscape impacts including the alteration of the
landscape caused by the excavation and reclamation, and the introduction of the
LNG terminal in South
Soko Island’s natural landscape. The baseline Landscape Resources are
generally of low to moderate sensitivity and there will be no significant
impacts on any of the Landscape Resources.
The baseline Landscape Character of the Soko Islands
is of generally high quality. There will
be varied impacts on the landscape character which range from a significant
impact on the LCA1 Island Landscape, to slight-moderate impacts on the LCA2
Abandoned Institutional Landscape. The
LNG terminal will only be visible from a limited number of locations, and these
impacts will only be significant when viewed from closer than 1,260 m to South Soko Island. As VSRs within this
distance are located in ocean areas, or from other islands in the Soko chain, the impact is greatly reduced. No VSRs located in
residential areas, on public roads, or in publicly accessible lookouts or
Country Parks will experience a significant visual impact. Measures have been proposed to mitigate the
effects of the development, including compensatory planting of indigenous
species, the orientation and positioning of the LNG terminal’s lighting system
to reduce glare, the design of structures to complement the surrounding
landscape where practical, and colours to reduce the
visibility of the LNG terminal.
2.12
Cultural Heritage
The impact assessment identified several
terrestrial sites of cultural heritage importance. The landtake for
the LNG terminal will directly impact the Tai A Chau
Tin Hau Temple, 21 graves and one associated tablet,
7 earth shrines and the Tai A Chau archaeological
site. Potential direct impacts on five
archaeological deposits of the Tai A Chau
Archaeological Site are considered unavoidable.
Detailed design of soil nailing and soil excavation work will be
reviewed to minimise the impact extent of Site A. Rescue excavation will be undertaken at
impacted areas to preserve the archaeological resources by record prior to the
start of construction works. To ensure
that no surviving archaeological deposits are missed, an archaeological
watching brief has been recommended during construction. An archaeological action plan will be
submitted to and agreed with AMO by the project proponent prior to licence
application by a qualified archaeologist detailing the requirement of the
rescue excavation and watching brief with contingency plan in case of discovery
of significant finds. It should be noted
that the identified archaeological deposits have been partly disturbed by
natural erosion and Site C has been heavily disturbed by previous construction
and decommissioning works for the Detention Centre. Additional measures will be adopted to
relocate the Tin Hau Temple
to a site with a similar cultural landscape and an archaeological survey will
be undertaken at the site to evaluate potential archaeological impact and
appropriate mitigation measures will be provided if necessary, relocate the 7
earth shrines and relocate the 21 graves and the associated tablets. No marine sites of cultural
heritage/archaeological value have been identified and thus no impacts to
marine archaeological resources are expected.
2.13
Hazard to Life
The assessment has evaluated the hazards
to life associated with the LNG terminal, the submarine gas pipeline and the
Gas Receiving Station as well as the marine transit of LNG. The assessment has concluded that the risks
related to transit of LNG to South Soko,
the operation of the terminal, the submarine gas pipeline and the Gas Receiving
Station are acceptable as per the individual and societal risk criteria set out
in Annex 4 of the EIAO-TM.
2.14
Environmental
Monitoring and Audit (EM&A)
During construction of the Project,
environmental monitoring will be necessary to assess the effectiveness of
measures implemented to mitigate potential water quality impacts. Regular site audits will also be conducted
during construction.
2.15
South
Soko Summary
A summary of the key design and
environmental aspects of the South Soko
option, with a comparison against the Black Point option, is presented in Table 4.1
3.1
Project
Description
The LNG terminal would be located on 32 ha
of land located on the headland southwest of the Black Point Power
Station. The terminal’s facilities will
be located on a site to be formed as part of a balanced cut and fill 16 ha
reclamation. The key elements of the LNG
terminal are presented in the preliminary layout on Figure 3.1 and include:
·
Jetty
including unloading arms capable of accommodating LNG carriers with capacities
ranging from 125,000 m3 up to a class of 215,000 m3
·
Process
Area
·
Three
full containment cryogenic LNG Tanks (capacity of up to 180,000 m3
each)
·
Low
Pressure and High Pressure pumping systems
·
Vaporization
(Re-gasification) Area
·
Seawater
intake and outfall system
·
Vents
(low pressure and high pressure)
·
Ancillary
features: (Guard House, Maintenance Workshop, Administration Building,
Utility Area, Control Room)
The LNG terminal will be designed and
operated according to the European Standard EN 1473 – Installation and
Equipment for Liquefied Natural Gas - Design of Onshore Installations.
The LNG carrier will access the site via
the East Lamma Channel, transit the Ma Wan Channel,
Urmston road before berthing at Black Point (Figure 3.2). Dredging work
(approximately 2.5 Mm3) will be involved to provide the necessary
approach to the jetty and for a turning circle for the LNG carrier.
Figure 3.2 Location of Black Point LNG Carrier Transit Route
3.2
Consideration of
Different Layouts, Design Options & Construction Methods
An assessment of different layouts and
design options was conducted to investigate the environmental considerations of
each preliminary layout and design option, as well as to examine the
engineering aspects for various layouts.
Of the three selected layouts, both the engineering and environmental
assessments have identified a layout that achieves the best balance between
reclamation and excavation quantities.
The location of two of the LNG tanks in the Black Point headland also
reduces the potential for impacts to landscape and visual sensitive
receivers.
Two
construction options were considered, the Fully Dredged Option and the
Partially Dredged Option. The Partially
Dredged Option is adopted to minimise the volume of dredged material for
disposal.
For
the construction of the LNG Jetty, two alternatives for the installation of
marine piles have been assessed (bored or percussive). The assessment proposed that either method
would be suitable for the construction of the LNG Jetty as part of the Black
Point terminal. In addition to the
above, construction methods will be adopted including the use of a bubble
jacket to reduce underwater sound levels during marine percussive piling work
for the construction of the jetty.
Two dredging plants have been assessed: grab dredgers
and trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD).
Both are commonly used in Hong Kong and
as such have been considered as viable options.
3.3
Air Quality
The
potential impacts to air quality caused by construction and operational
activities of the LNG terminal and its associated facilities at Black Point
have been assessed. Air Sensitive Receivers (ASRs) were
identified and the potential impacts arising from the construction and
operation phases of the LNG terminal evaluated.
No exceedances of the Air Quality Objective
(AQO) criteria are anticipated at the ASRs and therefore no air quality
monitoring will be required for either the construction or operational phase.
3.4
Noise
The potential impacts to noise caused by construction
and operational activities of the LNG terminal and its associated facilities at
Black Point have been assessed. Noise
Sensitive Receivers (NSRs) were identified and the
potential impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of the LNG
terminal evaluated. No exceedances of the noise criteria are anticipated at the NSRs and therefore no noise monitoring will be required for
either the construction or operational phase. The noise levels generated from the
equipment during the operation of the LNG terminal are within daytime and
night-time noise criteria.
3.5
Water Quality
The
potential impacts to water quality caused by construction and operational
activities of the LNG terminal and its associated facilities at Black Point
have been assessed. Sensitive receivers potentially affected
by construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal have been
identified and the potential impacts to these have been evaluated. The key sensitive receivers include Indo-pacific
Humpback Dolphin habitat of Northwest Lantau Island, the Sha
Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, commercial fisheries spawning habitat of
Northern Lantau, fish culture zones, ecologically
sensitive areas (mangroves, horseshoe crab habitat, seagrass
beds and intertidal mudflats), beaches (gazetted and
non – gazetted) and water intakes. The
assessment, utilising water quality and hydrodynamic models, has included the
potential impacts caused by marine works (i.e., dredging and reclamation) on
water quality due to the increases of suspended sediments concentrations,
potential decreases of dissolved oxygen and increases in nutrients
concentration, as well as those caused by operational activities such as the
alteration of the hydrodynamic regime, discharges of cooled water and antifoulants.
Potential
impacts arising from the proposed dredging, backfilling and reclamation works
are predicted to be largely confined to the specific works areas and compliant
with assessment criteria at the sensitive receivers. Water quality monitoring and auditing is
recommended for the construction phase.
During the operation phase, adverse impacts to water quality are not
expected to occur as the area affected by the cooled water and antifoulants discharge is extremely small and in the direct
vicinity of the discharge point.
Monitoring of impacts to marine water quality during the operational
phase is not considered necessary.
3.6
Waste Management
The
potential impacts of waste management caused by construction and operational
activities of the LNG terminal at Black Point have been assessed. The key potential impacts during the construction phase are related to
waste generated from site clearance, site formation, blasting, dredging,
reclamation, seawall construction, filling and concreting. The storage, handling, collection, transport,
disposal and/or re-utilisation of these materials and their associated
environmental impacts have been the primary focus of the assessment and
measures proposed to facilitate their management. Impacts associated with the storage,
handling, collection, transport and disposal of waste produced during operational
activities have been estimated to be manageable and meet the criteria specified
in the EIAO-TM.
3.7
Terrestrial
Ecology
The
potential impacts to terrestrial ecology caused by construction and operational
activities of the LNG terminal at Black Point have been assessed. The
terrestrial habitats and wildlife on Black Point were characterised by
conducting seasonal surveys during 2004, 2005 and 2006. The surveys covered habitats, vegetation and
general wildlife (including mammals, avifauna, herpetofauna,
dragonflies, butterflies, aquatic invertebrates and fish).
The terrestrial ecological resources recorded within
the Study Area include plantation, shrubland, shrubby
grassland, stream/channel, orchard and developed areas, with their associated
wildlife. Of these habitats, shrubland located at the western part of the headland is of
moderate ecological importance, shrubland located at
the southern part of the headland and the stream are low to moderate in
ecological importance, while the remaining habitats are of low or negligible
ecological importance.
The impact on natural habitats and
associated wildlife is considered to be low to moderate, and no adverse
residual impact is expected after the implementation of the proposed mitigation
measures, comprising appropriate construction practices, reclamation of
affected areas of shrubland (temporary haul road),
transplantation of Pitcher Plants and Bamboo Orchids and compensatory planting of shrubland. Environmental monitoring and audit measures
in the form of regular checks will be undertaken.
During the operation phase of the LNG
terminal at Black Point, adverse impacts to terrestrial ecological resources
are not expected to occur.
3.8
Marine Ecology
The
potential impacts to marine ecology caused by construction and operational
activities of the LNG terminal and its associated facilities at Black Point
have been assessed.
A series of detailed seasonal field
surveys were conducted during 2004, 2005 and 2006 examining the organisms
present on intertidal and subtidal
shores and within the soft seabed around Black Point. Land (12 months in 2004 - 2005) and vessel
(July 2005 to May 2006) based marine mammal surveys were also conducted around
Black Point. Ecologically sensitive
receivers have been identified and the potential impacts arising from the
construction and operation phases of the LNG terminal to these have been
evaluated. The key sensitive receivers
include the Indo-pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa
chinensis) habitat of Northwest Lantau, the Sha
Chau and Lung
Kwu Chau Marine
Park and ecologically
sensitive areas (mangroves, horseshoe crab habitat, seagrass
beds and intertidal mudflats).
Potential construction phase impacts to
marine ecological resources of the Study Area, including marine mammals, may
arise from the permanent loss of 16 ha of habitat due to reclamation,
disturbances to benthic habitats in the turning circle and approach channel,
loss of 600m of natural coastline or, indirect impacts through changes to key
water quality parameters, as a result of the dredging and reclamation.
The results of the water quality modelling
activities indicate that indirect impacts arising from the marine works will
generally be transient and confined to the works areas and compliant with the
assessment criteria. It is therefore
predicted that there will be no unacceptable impacts to the marine ecology
(including marine mammals) of the Study Area as a result of the LNG terminal’s
construction activities.
All marine vessels involved in the Project
will be required to observe a speed limit in areas where marine mammals are
present. The mitigation measures
designed to mitigate impacts to water quality to acceptable levels (compliance
with assessment criteria) are also expected to mitigate impacts to marine
ecological resources.
As a supplement to the construction phase
water quality monitoring, it is proposed that additional construction and
post-construction phase monitoring of marine mammals be undertaken. The main identified residual impact is the
loss of 16 ha of marine mammal habitat.
No adverse residual ecological impact is expected following the
implementation of the mitigation measures.
Unacceptable impacts from discharges of
cooled water and antifoulants are not anticipated to
occur, as they will be localised to the direct vicinity of the outfall and will
remain predominantly in the bed layer.
3.9
Fisheries
The
potential impacts to commercial fisheries caused by construction and
operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black Point have been assessed
using the findings of literature reviews.
The Water Quality
modelling activities indicate that the impacts arising from the proposed
dredging and reclamation works are predicted to be largely confined to the
specific works areas and the predicted elevations in suspended sediment
concentrations are not predicted to cause large area exceedances
of the assessment criterion. Adverse
impacts to fishing grounds or species of importance to the fisheries are
therefore not expected to occur.
Unacceptable impacts from discharges of
cooled water are not anticipated to occur as the effects from these discharges
will be localised to the lower layers of the water column in direct vicinity of
the outfall. Compliance with the
relevant discharge standards to control water quality impacts to within
acceptable levels is expected to control impacts to fisheries resources.
3.10
Landscape and
Visual Impact
The potential impacts to the landscape and
visual sensitive receivers caused by the presence of the LNG terminal at Black
Point have been assessed. The assessment
has covered a wide range of potential landscape impacts including the
alteration of the landscape caused by the reclamation and the introduction of
the LNG terminal in Black Point’s natural landscape. The baseline Landscape
Resources are generally of varying sensitivity and there will be no significant
impacts on any of the Landscape Resources. The LNG terminal will only be
visible from a limited number of locations, and these impacts will only be
significant at close proximity (< 1,260m) to the Black Point Terminal. As most of the VSRs
within this distance are located in ocean areas, the impact is greatly reduced
as all visitors will experience this impact from marine vessels. There will be
a moderate to significant visual impact from the publicly accessible lookout of
Lung Kwu Chau on clear
days. However there will be low visitor numbers to experience this impact. The
presence of LNG terminal will have a moderate to significant negative impact on
the existing Landscape Character of Black Point, particularly the hill slope
area, however the impacts on the other LCA's will
range from moderate to negligible
Measures have been proposed to mitigate the
effects of the development, including compensatory planting of indigenous
species, the orientation and positioning of the LNG terminal’s lighting system
to reduce glare, the design of structures to complement the surrounding
landscape where practical, and colours to reduce the
visibility of the LNG terminal.
3.11
Cultural Heritage
The
potential impacts to cultural heritage caused by construction and operational
activities of the LNG terminal and its associated facilities at Black Point
have been assessed. The assessment identified three terrestrial sites of
low cultural resource value: two
building structures at Terrace 1, a WWII cave at Terrace 2 and a stone
structure at Terrace 3. Construction activities will
impact these structures; however their loss is considered acceptable due to
their low cultural resource value and provided that a recording is undertaken
for the sites following requirements of the Antiquities and Monuments Office
(AMO). Appropriate mitigation measures
comprising the preparation of photographic and cartographic records prior to
their removal will therefore be undertaken to preserve these structures by
record. No marine archaeological sites
have been identified. Thus, the proposed
development imposes no marine archaeological impact and no mitigation measures
are considered necessary.
3.12
Hazard to Life
The assessment has evaluated the hazards
to life associated with the LNG terminal as well as the marine transit of
LNG. Based on the risk criteria set out
in Annex 4 of the EIAO-TM, the assessment has concluded that the
individual risk for the marine transit and the LNG terminal are
acceptable. However, the societal risk
of the marine transit to Black Point is As Low As Reasonably Practicable
(ALARP) () for some areas of the marine transit; the
difference in risk for these areas is due to busy marine traffic and high
population density particularly through the Ma Wan channel. Measures to mitigate the marine societal risk
through these areas from ALARP to Acceptable are not considered to be implementable at this time by the relevant Authority due to
their impact on other marine traffic in the busy Hong Kong
environment. LNG transit through these
areas is avoided by the selection of the South Soko site, where the risk of the marine
transit has been assessed as Acceptable along the entire route.
3.13
Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A)
During construction of the Project,
environmental monitoring will be necessary to assess the effectiveness of
measures implemented to mitigate potential water quality impacts. Marine mammal exclusion zone monitoring for
specific activities and site audits will also be conducted during
construction.
3.14
Summary
A summary of the key design and
environmental aspects of the Black Point option, with a comparison against the South Soko option, is presented
in Table 4.1.
4.1
Benefits of the
Project
Implementation
of the Project will secure sufficient and dependable supplies of fuel to meet electricity
generation needs, and make a significant contribution to managing emissions of
air pollutants in Hong Kong. Natural gas is
recognised as a comparatively clean burning fuel as it emits less particulates
and negligible SO2, as well as less NOx
and CO2 than other fossil fuels.
Locating the LNG terminal in Hong Kong
will enable the project to be developed under a single jurisdiction with clear
policy and regulations. A CAPCO owned
and operated LNG terminal under the SoC provides
greater project certainty and commercial assurance of bringing about these
environmental benefits compared to other options.
As noted previously with BPPS providing about 25% of
Hong Kong’s total electricity needs, having a reliable supply of natural gas
that fuels this power station is critical for maintaining Hong
Kong’s electricity supply.
In the event that gas is not available to BPPS, CAPCO will need to meet
electricity demand by a higher reliance on coal-fired generation, with
increased emissions as a result. Under
such circumstances, Hong Kong consumers could
be exposed to supply interruptions or power rationing.
4.2
Environmental
Outcomes
For each of the components assessed in the South Soko EIA Report, the assessments and the residual
impacts have all been shown to be acceptable within the relevant
standards/criteria of the EIAO-TM and the associated Annexes.
The marine risk for the transit of LNG
carriers to Black Point is in the As Low As reasonably Practicable
(ALARP) ()
region for some areas of the
marine transit of the LNG carrier but for all other aspects of the Black Point
EIA Report, the assessments and the residual impact have all been shown to be
acceptable within the relevant standards/criteria of the EIAO-TM and the
associated Annexes.
4.3
Environmental Performance
Comparison
A comparison of the environmental
performance of the two options for a LNG terminal in Hong Kong was conducted with reference to key
engineering design parameters and environmental impacts. The comparison is presented below in Table 4.1.
