The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its establishment on 1 July 2022. To mark the occasion, President Xi Jinping inspected Hong Kong for two days. Upon his arrival at the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (WKS) in the afternoon of 30 June, he attended a dinner at the Government House together with his wife Ms. Peng Liyuan in the evening that day, and officiated at the meeting celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Government of the HKSAR the next day. In the run-up to these events, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) proactively carried relevant work for our client departments, assisting in tasks such as setting up District Operations Rooms (DORs) and Higher Commands (HICOMs) for the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and temporarily renovating the WKS and the Ballroom, while fulfiling high-standard requests from various parties promptly.
To ensure the events were held smoothly, the EMSD assisted the HKPF in upgrading five major DORs and HICOMs, installing leading-edge, highly efficient high-definition audio, video and control systems for enhancing overall operational capability and effectiveness. Given the unprecedented complexity and scale of the events, the EMSD began preparation a year before. In around two to three months, we fully gauged the end-users’ needs, completed the tendering processes and commenced the construction work. All the DORs and HICOMs were successfully put into service towards the end of June. Mr. Siu Chak-yee, Raymond, Commissioner of Police, expressed his appreciation for the EMSD’s staunch support when he officiated the opening of the DOR of Yau Tsim District on 2 August.
While the welcome and farewell ceremonies for President Xi were held in the WKS in the celebration period, the WKS had to be renovated in order that its electrical and mechanical (E&M) equipment, air-conditioning, lighting and broadcasting systems would function smoothly and meet the needs during the occasions. The Railways Branch of the EMSD assisted in monitoring the E&M equipment of the station and tracks, and conducting inspections and tests. Additionally, together with the MTR Corporation Limited, we carried out tests and enhancements on the air-conditioning system. We also set up the required broadcasting system at the venue to enable the filming crew to produce the nationwide live broadcasting of speech of President Xi on the day of the ceremonies, while assisting the Information Services Department (ISD) to provide the audio channel for various media for reporting purposes.
In preparation for the dinner at the Government House, the EMSD inspected the equipment of the Ballroom and co-operated with the Architectural Services Department to upgrade the electrical and ventilating systems of the venue to fulfil the anti-epidemic requirements of the Government. During the work process, our colleagues conducted various site inspection on ventilating systems with experts from the Mainland of China and took the initiative to make changes promptly according to the improvement recommendations of the National Health Commission in terms of air flow direction, fresh air flow rate and air change rate, etc. Upon completion, the team continued to inspect the equipment every two hours until the dinner started. While there was a typhoon during the upgrade, our staff immediately strengthened weather resistance measures and carried out reinforcement works. The rapid response demonstrated the professionalism of the team.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of HKSAR, the EMSD assisted the ISD to dress up the government’s vehicle fleet in the form of a specially designed sticker for more than 200 government vehicles from departments including the Water Supplies Department, Social Welfare Department, Fire Services Department and Labour Department. As the promotion campaign had to be postponed due to the epidemic earlier this year, our team started applying the promotional stickers in mid-June, and by flexibly allocating manpower and proactively co-ordinating with other departments, we completed the task in the shortest possible time.
With our impeccable teamwork, sound communication and active co-operation to meet the clients’ needs, the EMSD completed the works according to the planned schedule, earning much recognition of the clients.
This year, the E&M I&T Day was held virtually from 19 to 20 July, with the themes of MultiTrade integrated approach for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing works (MiMEP) and Smart Engineering Solutions. Representatives from various sectors shared their views and experiences on innovative technologies on invitation. Staff of the EMSD also took this opportunity to introduce the award-winning projects in the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva this year.
Following the signing of memoranda of co-operation (MoCs) with five local universities and seven research institutions in 2019, the EMSD has signed MoCs with three academic institutions including the Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Vocational Training Council respectively in the E&M I&T Day this year to establish strategic partnership and jointly support government departments in applying innovation and technology (I&T). The EMSD will, in collaboration with its I&T strategic partners, continue to match solutions to the I&T needs of stakeholders through the E&M InnoPortal and provide venues for projects to conduct field trials as appropriate.
The EMSD and the Hong Kong Electrical and Mechanical Trade Promotion Working Group jointly held the Electrical and Mechanical Expo (E&M Expo) 2022 – “Light up Eco-City Walk with Me” in the Education & Careers Expo 2022 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 21 to 24 July 2022. In the E&M Expo, the latest information on career prospects, training and continuing education in various E&M fields was introduced, so as to encourage young people to join the industry and unleash their potential. The event was kicked off by Mr. Pang Yiu-hung, Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, and other guests. The Expo included career seminars where trade representatives were invited to share the latest information about different E&M fields, such as vehicles, fire services, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, transportation and railways. An exhibition booth was also set up at the venue for our engineering graduates and technician trainees to introduce the work of the EMSD and relevant career information to the public.
To strive toward the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 in Hong Kong, the EMSD actively promotes smart city development and green living. Integrating technology and education, the first-ever Smart Energy Monitoring System (SEMS) was set up in Shau Kei Wan Government Secondary School for teachers and students to proactively monitor and manage their energy consumption.
The SEMS is an online real-time energy monitoring system that records the amount of electricity used by air-conditioners, fans, lighting and other electrical appliances on each floor and in each classroom of the school per minute. The energy consumption in different sessions can be displayed on the system dashboard, enabling teachers and students to manage energy usage more effectively.
The EMSD team took the initiative to provide training on the SEMS to the school. Energy ambassadors of each class were trained to analyse electricity consumption data with the SEMS dashboard, so that electricity consumption could be reduced accordingly. To encourage teachers and students to apply the ideas of carbon emission reduction and energy saving to daily life, our team and the school co-organised an intramural energy-saving competition in December 2021. Mr. Yeung Sau-kuen, Sammy, the Chief Engineer of the General Engineering Services Division of the EMSD was invited to be a guest judge. In the competition, energy ambassadors were required to report to the class their electricity consumption using the charts generated by the SEMS, and develop and put into practice energy-saving measures. When the students realised in the competition that air-conditioning accounted for the largest proportion of electricity consumption, they reflected on their consumption patterns and were aspired to devote to energy conservation.
Seeing that the students understood the importance of green living to our society through the SEMS, Ms. Yan Kin-foon, Alice, the principal of the school are planning to incorporate scientific knowledge on carbon emissions, energy, climate change and data analysis into the school curriculum. In order to promote the integration of technology and education continually, we hope to extend the use of the SEMS to all 65 government schools in the near future.
In recent years, the EMSD has been committed to leveraging technology to improve service efficiency and accelerate the pace of smart city development. Take the integrated Building Management System (iBMS) as an example, after the installation of the iBMS in different government departments, the management of public facilities as well as the repair and maintenance efficiency have been remarkably enhanced with excellent results.
The EMSD detected abnormalities earlier in the outlet water temperature of the central air-conditioning system’s chiller of Kwun Chung Municipal Services Building (KCMSB) in real time through the iBMS and the Regional Digital Control Centre (RDCC). After learning about the situation, the EMSD team swiftly arrived at the site and discovered that there was a problem with the water supply pipes of the cooling tower system, which prevented the central air-conditioning system from operating properly. Racing against the clock, our team took the initiative to complete the emergency repair works outside office hours before the client discovered the issue, successfully ensuring that the operation of the vaccination centre and other related facilities in the building was not affected.
We have been using the iBMS to monitor the condition of venue facilities since 2020. Currently, the Municipal Sector (Kowloon) Sub-division is using this system in more than 30 venues under its purview and monitoring the operation of the electrical, mechanical, air-conditioning and building services systems in real time through the RDCC. In the past, if a facility broke down, the EMSD could only passively wait for notification from the client department, and only after our staff or contractors’ staff reported to us upon arrival at the site could we learn about the actual condition and answer clients’ inquiries. With the application of the system which monitors anomalies in the facilities in real time automatically, the EMSD management staff can now stay up to date with the status of the main facilities to identify the problem in a timely manner, promptly mobilise manpower for troubleshooting, as well as notifying and responding to customer inquiries efficiently.
The EMSD team will constantly enhance our service quality by making the best use of new technologies to improve the efficiency of resource deployment and maintenance, with a view to minimising the impact of breakdowns on our clients’ provision of public services.
To enhance the inspection efficiency at borders, the EMSD has provided the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) with handheld X-ray imagers for inspection of goods and luggage.
Fixed X-ray checkers are currently used at boundary control points for quick and effective inspection of goods. However, large in size, they can only be used at fixed locations or areas. Moreover, certain goods are too bulky and difficult to be transported, making scanning and inspection sometimes not possible. In view of this, the EMSD has introduced new handheld X-ray imagers, which are small and portable for the C&ED officers to carry to different areas for scanning and inspection, saving the manpower and time previously required for transporting goods to specified locations. Featuring a touch screen, the handheld X-ray imager is easy to use and operate with a high degree of flexibility. It can cover invisible areas that could hardly be inspected with fixed X-ray checkers in the past, for example, the space inside a tire. Meanwhile, by displaying the inspection results in real time, the imager helps the C&ED officers determine immediately whether there are prohibited items in goods. The imager offers sufficient penetration as its X-rays can pass through a steel plate in 4mm thickness for inspecting the goods.
The co-operation between the EMSD team and the client was smooth and pleasant. The C&ED also thanked the EMSD for its valuable contribution, high standard of professionalism, teamwork and efforts.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund (EMSTF) attaches great importance to clients’ experience with its services. To have a better understanding of clients’ needs we conduct the Customer Opinion Survey (COS) biennially, with a view to implementing enhancement measures. We supported the anti-epidemic measures of our client departments with innovative technology, and over 180 trial projects have been successfully matched through the E&M InnoPortal. In the meantime, we have made good use of I&T to elevate clients’ performance, such as tailor-making the smart prison system for the Correctional Services Department, and developing I&T solutions such as smart robots and speed testers for application by various departments. Besides, our agile and co-operative team responded quickly to emergencies, such as assisting in the transformation of isolation wards and provision of additional temporary body storage facilities at the peak of the epidemic, and offering urgent E&M support in the blackout in New Territories Northwest, etc.
We hope that our clients will actively participate and offer their valuable feedback in the COS to be conducted in the fourth quarter of this year. We will make the best endeavours to make continuous improvements and work closely with clients to provide quality services that are valued for money.
The EMSD’s first mobile promotion truck, The Bearbot Lifestyle Experience, made its official debut on 15 July. I, Witty Bear, and Knowbot have assumed the role of tour guides and introduced information on E&M safety, energy efficiency and innovative technologies to the public through the display boards about E&M trivia and innovation and technology-driven interactive games on the truck.
Our mobile truck visited six primary schools under the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) earlier on to pilot the promotion of E&M safety, energy efficiency, etc. in schools. On 19 July, the truck made its first visit to SKH St James’ Primary School. Mr. Pang Yiu-hung, Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services and Mr. Kwok Chi-kay, Peter, Director of Education Services of the HKSKH also attended the event that day to explore the world of E&M wonderland with the students. Since mid-July, the truck has also been travelling to various districts across the territory at weekends, reaching out to over 7 500 members of the public and sharing E&M knowledge with them.
As the goodwill ambassadors of the EMSD, we hope to promote E&M safety and energy efficiency in an interesting and light-hearted way, and encourage people to develop good habits of saving energy and reducing carbon footprints, so that we can all contribute to the goal of achieving carbon neutrality!