|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced the establishment of the Research Centre for Grid Modernisation (RCGM). The Centre’s primary focus is on fostering innovations and applications for the modernisation of the power grid and the development of new electric power systems. This initiative supports Hong Kong’s and China’s goals of achieving carbon neutrality and sustainable energy development.
The RCGM launch ceremony was held on the PolyU campus, bringing together leaders from 35 government bureaus, quangos, research institutes, professional bodies, and industry associations. Representatives from various sectors including power and energy, energy management, microelectronics, telecommunications, electrical engineering, and railway transportation attended. Additionally, academic leaders, experts, and scholars from 26 universities in Hong Kong, Macao, and Mainland China were present.
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the HKSAR Government revealed that Hong Kong aims to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and has set out four decarbonisation strategies: net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport, and waste reduction. He emphasised that the path to carbon neutrality requires community-wide efforts and expressed support for PolyU’s RCGM in facilitating cooperation among academia, industry, and government.
The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, in a video message, described the establishment of RCGM as a crucial step forward and expressed confidence that the Centre, with its team of world-class power systems experts, will become a leading R&D hub for modern grids and smarter cities.
The Secretary-General of the China Electricity Council highlighted that RCGM aims to consolidate industry expertise, foster cooperation across the industry chain, and support the transition to clean and low-carbon energy. The China Electricity Council will collaborate with PolyU and other institutions to promote new regional power systems, contributing to the ‘double carbon’ goal.
The PolyU President emphasised PolyU’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, positioning RCGM as an international platform to attract and nurture global talents in power and electricity industries. The Centre’s work will also support Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology hub in the Greater Bay Area.
The establishment of RCGM comes in response to the increasing challenges faced by global power supplies, including extreme weather events, aging power networks, and the integration of new devices such as wind and solar farms, energy storage systems, and electric vehicles. The Centre will focus on harnessing emerging technologies such as sensors, 5G/6G communications, microelectronics, AI, big data analytics, and robotics to modernise power grids and mitigate operational risks.
RCGM aims to serve as an international platform for grid modernisation, promoting exchange and collaboration with academia, industry, and governments globally. Its mission includes pursuing multidisciplinary research and development of secure, sustainable, and affordable power and energy systems, facilitating R&D and knowledge transfer, and deploying advanced electric grid technologies.
The Head of the PolyU Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and RCGM Director noted that Hong Kong’s dense population and high-rise buildings provide an ideal setting for R&D in grid modernisation. Supported by robust government funding and policy, the Centre aims to become a leading global hub for research and knowledge transfer in electric grid modernisation.
RCGM has garnered support from various organisations and institutions, including five distinguished experts as honorary advisors. Additionally, RCGM and a Shenzhen-based power company announced a partnership to establish the PolyU-Autosun Joint Laboratory for Sustainable PowerTech Research in Modern Grid. This collaboration aims to advance research in electric vehicle charging technology, smart microgrids, new energy storage systems, and power equipment monitoring systems.
