Page 20 - Sphere No.6 (Jun 2002)

SPHERE
128
C O V E R S T O R Y
TRACK RECORD
The company started operations at the 100kW Wan Chai
power station on December 1, 1890 when electric streetlights
were turned on in Central for the first time.
As the city developed, demand for electricity grew, and in
1919 a new 3MW power station opened at North Point. In
1968, a state-of-the-art power station was commissioned, this
time at Ap Lei Chau.This facility had an installed capacity of
1,061MW when it was fully developed, meeting the require-
ments of a city that was now entering the glob-
al limelight.
The Lamma Power Station project was
commissioned in 1982.To hedge against volatile
oil prices it was designed to generate power pri-
marily through coal firing instead of oil, with
gas turbines on hand as back-up in emergencies.
Today, Lamma Power Station is the sole gener-
ator of power for Hong Kong and Lamma
islands with a capacity of 3,305MW, including
eight coal-fired and seven gas-turbine units.
By global standards, the 50-hectare site at
Lamma is compact, but the machinery it hous-
es is among the most advanced. Consequently,
the plant is immaculately run with none of the
clutter and debris one might expect to find in
such a set-up, and people are conspicuous, in
large part, by their absence.
“We use computer technology to control most of the
plant’s work,” says Technical Services Engineer KamWing Fai.
“But the human element is of course still crucial to oversee all
operations.”
HUMAN DYNAMOS
Mr Tso stresses the vital contribution of the employees.“While
the technology is pivotal in providing superior service deliv-
ery, the company owes much of its considerable success to a
workforce that is highly motivated and experienced,” he says.
“At Lamma Power Station, new recruits – mainly engi-
neering graduates – enter an atmosphere where it is easy to
learn from their more experienced seniors. We train our
employees thoroughly and make sure they can benefit from
on-going professional education. Simulators are used to con-
tinuously hone their skills and many are sent abroad for further
training.”
By Hong Kong’s standards, staff turnover is insignificant at
barely 3% to 5% per year, mainly from retirements. There are
even instances of three generations of one family working for
the company at the same time.
“It is very important to have mutual under-
standing with the people who work for you,”
Mr Tso adds. “We share a common vision:
every staff member is dedicated to contributing
to the smooth running of the operation.”
This unwavering focus on increasing effi-
ciency and productivity has produced extraor-
dinary results: over the past 10 years, units sold
per employee have soared 83%.
CENTRAL CONTROL
Once generated, the electricity flows through
submarine cables from the power station to
Hong Kong Island. It is at the System Control
Centre at Ap Lei Chau that the company’s
technological edge is most apparent. A gleam-
ing haven of silent efficiency, the System
Control Centre deploys some of the most advanced equipment
ever seen in the business, enabling remote control of the power
generation process, transmission, and each of the 3,444 distri-
bution substations. Engineers monitor wall-sized screens that
show the entire distribution network, allowing them to pin-
point and remedy problems accurately and effectively within
minutes.
“Power distribution systems worldwide rely on a similar
system of distribution substations, but very few are remotely
controlled from a single centre, and fewer still can boast the
sort of technology employed at the System Control Centre in
...over the past
10 years,
units sold
per employee
have soared
83%...
Hongkong Electric supplies all the power that illuminates and energises Hong Kong Island. From left: The stock exchange; city tram; The Peak Tower.