After a year and a half of review and revision, the new edition of the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations (CoP) was published in December 2020 and will be fully implemented on 31 December 2021. To keep abreast with the latest development and to meet evolving community needs, the 2020 edition of the CoP includes new measures such as the recommendation for adoption of arc fault detection devices in premises with sleeping accommodation, the required installation of residual current devices for fixed electrical installations in village houses, as well as the new requirements on charging facilities for electric vehicles, among others. We have also organised a number of online seminars and other promotional activities for Registered Electrical Contractors and Registered Electrical Workers to enable the industry to understand the new edition of the CoP.

To encourage the public to replace aged domestic gas appliances that do not bear a GU mark, a multi-pronged publicity campaign, including social media promotion and outdoor advertising on various public transports, was rolled out. The legislation relating to the GU mark, enacted in 2003, stipulates that all domestic gas appliances to be supplied and sold for use in Hong Kong shall bear a GU mark. In other words, domestic gas appliances without a GU mark might have been in use for more than 17 years, their safety and reliability might have been compromised, and owners should consider early replacement. We collaborated with the trade to reach out to users of aged gas appliances, encouraging them to replace their aged appliances with new models bearing a GU mark.

To help the lift and escalator maintenance trade accelerate the digitisation of operations, we made use of the funding under the TechConnect (Block Vote) to start developing a blockchain-based Digital Log-book for lifts and escalators to replace paper log-books. The Digital Log-book not only allows lift and escalator engineers and workers to easily record and upload all work details to the cloud, but also helps owners and property management companies keep track of the condition and performance of their lifts and escalators with the use of big data analytics and real-time data. Using blockchain technology also means that records are immutable, ensuring the authenticity of entries. We shall continue to work closely with the trade and property management companies to ensure that they will benefit from the innovation.

On 6 February 2021, the preparatory work on the MTR Shatin to Central Link (SCL) reached a milestone, as the new 9-car trains and new signalling system for the East Rail Line (EAL) required for the SCL were commissioned on that day. The existing 12-car trains and the new 9-car trains then operate together on the EAL under the mixed fleet operations. With the SCL extending the EAL from Hung Hom Station across the harbour to Admiralty, the 12-car trains will progressively be replaced by the 9-car trains to overcome the space constraints of the SCL’s underground tracks on the cross-harbour and Hong Kong Island sections. The new signalling system also facilitates smoother operations and supports more frequent train services on the EAL, which are vital to the SCL. We will continue to monitor their operations to ensure the smooth commissioning of the SCL as scheduled.

The EMSD signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2020 with the Energy Market Authority of Singapore to work towards greater energy safety and resilience through innovation and co-operation, marking a milestone in our efforts to broaden our regional collaborations. On building energy efficiency, the triennial review of the Building Energy Code and the Energy Audit Code began in late 2020 and would be completed for implementation by end-2021 to ensure that the updated codes are in line with prevailing technology and international energy efficiency standards. Another milestone was the completion of the ring circuit of chilled water pipework in the existing District Cooling System (DCS) at Kai Tak Development in early 2021, after nearly a decade of work with numerous obstacles overcame. The experience will be valuable to future DCS projects.