An MTR Corporation railway decarbonisation project carried out with its power-company partner has received an international energy project award from a US energy engineers’ association. MTR said the programme saves nearly 60 million kWh of electricity a year.
The reported saving is equivalent to the annual electricity use of about 14,000 local households. MTR said the measures also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 22,000 tonnes each year, a figure it compares with the annual carbon absorption of more than 950,000 trees.
The work covers the machinery and systems that keep the railway running. Cooling equipment and split-type air-conditioners in railway facilities are being upgraded, while station lighting is progressively being replaced with energy-efficient LED systems. All MTR trains use regenerative braking technology, and the programme also includes electric buses in the MTR bus fleet and expanded solar-power generation.
The power-company partner provided energy-management and technical support during implementation. Its work included energy audits to analyse electricity use at stations, as well as funding through a green-building fund for energy-efficiency improvement projects at MTR stations and depots.