Supporting decentralised energy solutions benefits people by enabling flexible, reliable and cost-effective access to clean energy. Delivering better end-use solutions, in turn, benefits the environment by reducing per capita GHG emissions and curbing long-term physical climate risks.
As the energy market evolves to be more customer-centric, CLP aspires to become a Utility of the Future with innovation and adoption of new technologies, bringing cleaner and smarter power supply to its customers. Throughout 2022, CLP continued accelerating its digital capabilities and integrating digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and big data, into its operations. For example, the adoption rate of CLP Power platforms, such as Company website and CLP mobile app, amongst the CLP Power customer base has increased significantly from 7% in 2019 to 63% by 2022.
Digitalisation empowers CLP with data that allows a better understanding of customers’ preferences and behaviours, beyond just individual electricity bill accounts. In 2022, CLP Power invited around 600,000 households to reduce their energy consumption in the Summer Savers' Rebate Programme, in which reward points were provided to residential customers with smart meters to reduce energy use during peak demand periods on hot summer days. Smart air conditioner control with artificial intelligence was also introduced to help participating households reduce their consumptions during the events. The programme successfully encouraged customers to adjust their consumption behaviour with a total of 300,000kWh of electricity saved over a four-hour period.
Recognising the enormous potential that digitalisation presents for customers, CLPe continued to provide bespoke energy-saving service solutions with digital elements. For example, CLPe signed a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) agreement with Chinachem Group to build a new water-cooled air conditioning system bundled with Green Electricity Certificates (GECs) at Nina Tower in Hong Kong. This was the first zero-carbon chiller system project in Hong Kong . CLPe also commenced a distributed solar system at the headquarters of MTR Corporation (Shenzhen) Limited in Longhua District. It is expected to generate 1,300MWh of renewable energy per year, equivalent to a reduction of 16,000 tonnes of carbon emissions associated with electricity during the contracting period.
CLP has invested over HK$780 million since 2017 and tapped into the leading technologies emerging in this space. Investments included direct equity stakes, venture capital funds and joint venture investment partnerships in new technologies that have the potential to shape the future of the energy sector and bring products or services to CLP customers that support their decarbonisation efforts.
One of the signature joint venture investment partnerships in 2022 was with Hydro X. The company specialises in developing an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly chemical process to store hydrogen using water and bicarbonate at near room temperature and pressure. This technological breakthrough will bring safe and efficient hydrogen-handling solutions to customers and create a paradigm shift in transportation and operations across various sectors and industries.
