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Hong Kong to update air-quality plan, with city’s power companies facing lower emissions targets from 2026
- New caps on sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and respirable suspended particles to come into force
- City to phase out reliance on coal in favour of cleaner natural gas
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Hong Kong’s two power companies will have to further reduce emissions of key air pollutants from 2026 onwards, with the city expected to release updated blueprints to tackle air quality issues and climate change by the second half of this year.
On Thursday, the government approved new caps on emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOX) and respirable suspended particles (RSP), reducing the three pollutants by 9 per cent, 10 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively.
“This will help continuously improve the air quality in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region,” the Environmental Protection Department said.
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The city is expected to continue phasing out the use of coal in favour of natural gas, with the cleaner fuel generating about 70 per cent of electricity by 2026, according to a paper the department submitted to the Legislative Council.
“In order to meet the new emission allowances, the two power companies will complete the construction of three new gas-fired generating units in or before 2024,” the department said.
From 2026 onwards, the two power companies’ combined emissions will be limited to 2,852 tonnes of SO2, 11,144 tonnes of NOX, and 367 tonnes of RSP.
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