Macao, 22 November 2012

On 22 November, a delegation composed of members from India, Colombia, Hong Kong, USA and Sweden visited CEM Coloane Power Plant and CEM Lotus Substation. They are participants of the 9th International Conference on Advances in Power System Control, Operation and Management (APSCOM), which was held in Hong Kong from 18 to 21 November by The Institution of Engineering and Technology Hong Kong (IET), with the support of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) and CEM.

As a conclusion of the Conference, the delegation visited CEM aiming at knowing better how the power supply is controlled, operated and managed in Macao, as well as having a closer insight on the major infrastructures and technologies used by CEM.

APSCOM provides a forum for professionals and specialists to share ideas, inventions and experiences to promote the reliable, efficient and sustainable development of the electricity supply industry. APSCOM has become a major international power conference in the region. The theme of APSCOM 2012 is ‘Challenges and Opportunities of Smart Grid – Sustainable, Marketable, Affordable, Reliable and Technological’.

CEM is honored of receiving a delegation from APSCOM to visit its infrastructures. The Delegation led by C. K. Lau, Chief Engineer of Hong Kong Electric Co. Ltd and APSCOM 2012 International Conference Chairman, was warmly welcomed by CEM Generation Department Senior Manager Ip Kam Veng. The delegation first visited CEM Coloane Power Station, where they had a close insight on the major operations and management of the Plant, followed by a visit to the new 220kV Lotus Substation.

While the industries practitioners, engineering bodies and researchers worldwide are confronting the challenges in managing energy issues such as sustainability, adverse climate change, increasing adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency in a more effective and thoughtful way, smart grid is regarded as a promising emerging technology for the power industry to drive energy revolution. Smart grid is becoming a global initiative for power grid infrastructure development that facilitates power utilities, business sectors, regulators and consumers to manage the delivery and utilization of energy more efficiently through active participation over the electricity supply chain. To cope with the MSAR government’s initiative to develop Macao as one of the world’s leading and most dynamic cities in terms of entertainment and tourism and to further enhance the power supply reliability and customer services levels, CEM has been observing the development of Smart Grid few years ago. In 2011 CEM launched a smart grid technology study with ultimate goal of looking for more cost-effective technology and delivering reliable power supply. Several visits and discussions have been conducted with other regions and companies with expertise in the field, as to enhance the understanding of the features and benefits of smart grid, and the internal consensus in Macao has been gradually reached.