I just got a tip about HK Electric's project profile for "Renewable Energy by a wind turbine System on Lamma Island".

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/30/Tai-Ling-map-1.jpg" border=1 align=left hspace=10 vspace=4>It's a demo/educational project with only one wind turbine, just 250m away from Tai Ling Village, along the ridge after Tai Peng. It was selected from 6 potential location, incl Tai Peng, Pak Kok and the power station itself.

Almost 100 metres high, incl. blades, at an elevation of 90m above sealevel, 89 tons, brightly coloured to kill less birds, this will be seen from much of the island. Building will start before end of this year, most likely. The project is with the Environmental Impact Assessment division of the EPD now, "exhibited for the public to comment" by email feedback form, till April 6 only: http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia

Does anybody know more about this project? Has anybody local been notified or consulted? Potentially a very interesting project, I'll try to get more info from HK Electric directly.

The 12-page, very readable and illustrated project profile is at:
http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/profile/latest/esb112.pdf

For a great general discussion on wind power on Lamma:
http://www.lamma.com.hk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1141

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From the map that looks like it is right next to the top of the short cableway, just opposite the hill trail (sometimes called Snake Path, but not by everyone) that was going to be concreted a couple of years ago.

Speaking of that trail: There are some red paint markings on the ground at the start of it. Does this mean that the concreting is going ahead even though it was supposedly shelved some time ago? Or are those markings something to do with the Hash runners?

Alan, surely you know something?

Yes, that's where it is. Have a look at the PDF linked, it has some larger scale maps. If that's all they built, I could live with it. Hopefully it's just a testbed for windmills in remote places with no mains power -- since we have our own coal burning plant already we hardly need it. I would hate for the whole central ridge of Lamma to be populated with these -- the access roads would devastate the place, aside from the towers themselves.

The Hashers usually use white chalk, I think. Keep your eye out for any signs on the path or notices in town.

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/30/Map-report-closeup.gif" align=left border=1 hspace=10 vspace=4>Yes, that's exactly where the wind turbine will be built later this year, very top of the cable road, almost at the top of the hill.

See close-up map from the report.

Anybody got pictures of that area?

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Lamma-Gung

If there is a photo on the CD-ROM I gave you titled 'October 10 2003-02' then you already have a picture of the area.

Looking up the path at the top the area where the windmill will stand is on the right.

If you don't have that photo let me know and I'll send you a copy.

Richard,

Couldn't find any October 10 photo, but there's one from October 01 in your "Power Station Road Above Tai Peng " directory. I assume it's this one:

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/30/Tai-Ling-Richard.jpg" border=1>

Who knew that your CD-ROM full of Lamma photos you gave me recently would come in handy so quickly! Another reason why you've been honoured as "Contributor of the Month" in the new Lamma-zine...

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LG, Sorry that's the wrong road.

I've sent the correct photo to LG just now. I can't post it myself as I have no photo editing software on the computer I am using and it's a really big picture.

Snake path, is this your snake path?

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/30/October-10-2003-02-bb.jpg" border=1>

So the wind turbine would be just on the left edge of this picture?

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It's on the right side of the path as the camera points, at the top.

The path sometimes known as Snake Path would be on the left at the top of that photo, after the turn off to Lo Dik Wan. The proposed site would be where Richard says, to the right of that photo. We probably won't even see the windmill from the village. It will be behind the hill that got burned last week.

So the wind turbines will be seen from YSW?

Does anyone know what other support infrastructure are required? I mean, access roads, cables etc. How and when will all those be built?

According to the indicated spot on the map the site appears to be to the LEFT of the path. At any rate, it seems to be in a depression between two hills, probably where the wind is channelled up the cable path from the sea.

Ach, we'll just slap it up on Lamma and see how it goes. No one will mind much.

Reminds me of Scotland and the poll tax.

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And a rinky dinky doo to you too!

I can't see any consultation exercise or how they have procured the land. Some more quotes from the document:

"The species of shrub at the vicinity of site are unknown but can be easily avoided if identified to be the protected or rare plants. The impact to ecology is expected to be negligible."

Is this the kind of thorough going over expected of these projects?

"The birds found at Lamma are mostly local species and will soon
familiar with the changes of features in their living environment. It is expected that the proposed development will have insignificant impact to birds."

But in the meantime expect to see new additions to the menu on Lamma eateries

At the time I took the photo the area was already dug up a bit further down. The Water Supplies Department (WSD) were carrying out some pretty major upgrading works or something at the covered reservoir. The whole area around the reservoir was a big works site.

They say that this site can use the cable road for access, so no roadworks. The worry is that they might build a string of them along the ridge, which would make a mess of the countryside.

Their justification for this project is: "Lamma is an outlying island suitable for harnessing renewable wind energy for consumption by the islanders." Which might make sense if we didn't have an enormous coal plant already (I don't think they plan to remove that).

They're replacing the pipes from there that run beside the path that comes out near the kindergarten. That plan was put on noticeboards a few months ago.

I just did a little photo shoot up in Tai Ling.
This photo was taken from the "pagoda", just above the end of the 2nd Cable Road, just above the covered reservoir and Tai Ling Village. Wind turbine location in yellow, just below the peak:

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/30/Wind-0291-bb.jpg" border=1>

View from top of the very windy hill in the above picture, after climbing up the path on the left. The recently burnt hillside has started to grow back after the recent torrential rains. The top half of the turbine, the propeller, will be visible from much of North Lamma, including YSW. Click photo to enlarge.

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/30/Wind-banner-bb.jpg" border=1>

View in the other direction, towards the "pagoda", Luk Chau and HK Island (photo by David Kerr, taken during better weather). Wind turbine location in yellow, visible fully from HK Island and the East Lamma Channel. It'll become a future "landmark" of Lamma Island:

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/30/Pic-Month-DKerr-windy-bb.jpg" border=1>

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