Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan today visited the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department headquarters and the North Plant of the Kai Tak District Cooling System.

Mr Tse began his visit at the department’s headquarters where he met the directorate staff. He received an update on their work in regulating gas and electricity safety, and how it enhances the safety of electrical and mechanical (E&M) facilities in buildings by deploying innovation and technology.

He also learnt more about the department’s work in providing digitalised E&M engineering solutions for government departments in order to tie in with the policies on smart city and combating climate change.

Mr Tse then toured the department’s Regional Digital Control Centre to learn more about how colleagues adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies to monitor remotely the operating status of E&M equipment at various locations.

This in turn can help enhance the equipment’s energy efficiency through data analysis.

The environment chief then visited the department’s InnoZone to inspect applications like the Internet of Things (IoT), automated technology and AI, jointly developed by the department and local universities, startups and research institutions.

He was briefed on the Government-Wide IoT Network (GWIN) and various systems supported by GWIN, such as smart drainage and smart public toilets.

Additionally, Mr Tse visited the North Plant of the Kai Tak District Cooling System to receive a briefing on its operation and the latest progress of the remaining works, followed by an inspection of the facilities and equipment there.

The environment chief noted that Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 had mapped out the city’s decarbonisation strategies and climate resilience measures, as well as more aggressive energy saving targets.

He said he looks forward to the department continuing its adoption of innovative ideas in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.