HKIA Develops Innovative Energy Management Solutions for a Greener Airport

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP Power) have jointly developed a Weather Forecast for Air-conditioning Control System (Weather FACTS) and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to enhance the airport’s energy efficiency through sustainable power management and energy saving technology.

Weather FACTS controls chiller operations via big data analysis

Weather FACTS is currently in operation at HKIA’s Terminal 1. It automatically collects hourly data including temperature, humidity, cloud amount, wind direction, wind speed and solar radiation from the Hong Kong Observatory, half-hourly electricity consumption of HKIA from CLP Power as well as HKIA’s own flight index and seawater temperature information, building a big data model that can forecast the cooling demand of the passenger terminal over the following 24 hours. Based on the forecast, the chiller system can then pre-adjust and deliver the appropriate amount of cooling volume needed to optimise energy efficiency.

HKIA is the first airport in the world to adopt a predictive control model for air conditioning. By employing machine learning, the system can achieve about 90% accuracy. According to data, implementing Weather FACTS and installing two new 5,000 refrigerant tonnes chillers in 2021 will help HKIA save an estimated 5.1 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity a year. These savings are equivalent to the annual energy consumption of nearly 1,200 CLP Power residential customers.

Amen Tong, General Manager, Technical Service Infrastructure of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA), said, “AA actively seeks and implements best practices in environmental management as part of its commitment to making HKIA one of the world’s greenest airports. We jointly developed Weather FACTS with CLP Power to accurately forecast the cooling demand of passenger terminals according to factors such as changes in weather and passenger flow. By helping us adjust and deliver cooling volume more accurately, the system enables us to achieve energy savings while also maintaining passenger comfort. We will continue to enhance the accuracy of the system through machine learning and the introduction of new data such as passenger flow image analysis and ‘Internet of Things’ technology. We will also implement the system in other passenger facilities, including the new T2 Concourse of the Three-runway System, in order to further optiminise energy efficiency.”

Largest battery storage system in Hong Kong helps reduce energy wastage

In order to facilitate future development at HKIA, AA and CLP Power jointly developed BESS, the largest battery storage system in Hong Kong, to serve as additional backup supply. HKIA’s existing six backup generators together with BESS work synchronously to provide power in the event of emergency.

Over 400 lithium batteries are stored in BESS’s three containers for a capacity, equivalent to more than 55,000 pieces of 10,000 milliamp hours (mAh) portable power banks. Each container is equipped with battery management, energy conversion, air conditioning, fire, lighting and fully automated computer control and monitoring systems.

To ensure the normal operation of backup generators, routine testing is conducted at the airport every month. In the past, electricity generated during testing could not be stored; however, with the deployment of BESS, the electricity can now be saved for future use.

Installed in a wheeled container, the mobile design of BESS enables the system to be deployed anywhere for emergency use. This also saves construction expenses that would be incurred for expanding the current generator house.


Amen Tong, General Manager, Technical Service Infrastructure of Airport Authority Hong Kong
CLP Power Deputy Director of Corporate Customer Experience Lo Kwok Yau