Project overview
The Kai Tak district cooling system (DCS) project represents a mega-scale seawater-cooled chiller plant that provides chilled water at a central plant and distributes it through underground pipes to multiple premises, including the iconic Kai Tak Sports Park and the New Acute Hospital. The district cooling system reduces electricity consumption compared with conventional individual-building air conditioning systems, cutting both costs and carbon emissions.
0.81 million m2 of non-domestic air-conditioned floor area served
about 53 million kWh per year of electricity savings (estimated)
37,152 tonne reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per annum
Background
The Kai Tak DCS is a landmark sustainable infrastructure project for Hong Kong. As the first of its kind developed by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the system produces chilled water at a central plant and distributes it to customers in the Kai Tak Development (KTD) through an underground pipework system. The project scope included constructing a main building to house the chiller plant, as well as installing the distribution pipework for both seawater and chilled water.
The Kai Tak DCS has commenced operation in phases since February 2013 to cope with the development in the KTD area. In response to the increasing cooling demand within the KTD area from non-domestic buildings and public facilities such as Kai Tak Sports Park and the New Acute Hospital, an additional district cooling system plant, involving a network of about 23 km of underground water piping, was planned and constructed and came into service in 2024. The newly constructed Kai Tak Sports Park, New Acute Hospital and other non-domestic developments were subsequently completed and were connected to the district cooling system in 2025.
Binnies was responsible for the detailed design of the additional seawater-cooled chiller plant, the associated power utility 132 kV substation, the chilled water distribution network and the seawater heat rejection systems. Binnies provided multidisciplinary building, civil and structural, electrical and mechanical and hydraulic analysis services for the project.
Challenges
The constrained building footprint posed a major challenge for both planning and plant design. To accommodate the enormous power demand of the district cooling system, it was necessary to integrate a full 132 kV substation within the premises.
Solutions
Owing to this constrained building footprint, the plant design required vertical expansion both upward and downward to maximise usable space. The basement level accommodates the seawater pump house, the chilled water distribution system and the electrochlorination system, ensuring reliable seawater intake, treatment of seawater for cooling and chilled water distribution. On the ground and first floors, the integrated 132 kV power substation and plant electrical systems are housed to provide a stable power supply. The second floor is dedicated to the central chiller plant, which forms the core of the district cooling operation. To manage this highly complex and spatially constrained design, Building Information Modelling (BIM) was extensively adopted, enabling precise coordination, clash detection and integration of multiple engineering disciplines throughout the planning and construction process.
Impact
Owing to this constrained building footprint, the plant design required vertical expansion both upward and downward to maximise usable space. The basement level accommodates the seawater pump house, the chilled water distribution system and the electrochlorination system, ensuring reliable seawater intake, treatment of seawater for cooling and chilled water distribution. On the ground and first floors, the integrated 132 kV power substation and plant electrical systems are housed to provide a stable power supply. The second floor is dedicated to the central chiller plant, which forms the core of the district cooling operation. To manage this highly complex and spatially constrained design, Building Information Modelling (BIM) was extensively adopted, enabling precise coordination, clash detection and integration of multiple engineering disciplines throughout the planning and construction process.
The project has provided 178 megawatt of refrigeration (MWr) cooling capacity.