The rise of the GBA megapolis that covers Hong Kong, Macau, and nine other dynamic cities across southern China is one of the region’s most exciting economic stories of the century so far.

Its immense growth possibilities are built on foundations of sustainable, smart energy solutions in line with the government’s decarbonisation goals, opening the door for energy companies to drive technological innovation and promote a shift to new business models.

CLP is expanding its presence in the GBA and seeking out diversified opportunities in the area. Two years ago, it invested in the CSG Energy Innovation Equity Investment Fund set up by China Southern Power Grid to encourage smart energy and innovation.

Last year, CLP deepened its commitment by signing a contract to invest in and operate until 2036 a centralised cooling system for Po Park Shopping Plaza in Guangzhou – the company’s first venture of its kind in the GBA.

CLP took charge of the shopping plaza’s chilling plant in November 2021 and began retrofitting work, including the installation of advanced electric centrifugal chillers, high-efficiency vertical water pumps, variable-flow steel cooling towers, and an intelligent control system. 

The upgrade of the centralised cooling system was successfully completed in five months. No lost-time incidents or injuries were recorded despite some daunting logistical challenges.

Heavy lifting without the sweat

Situated next to the bustling Guangzhou East Railway Station, Po Park Shopping Plaza is a landmark of the popular Tianhe district and a booming centre for shopping, dining, leisure, and entertainment.

Because of its location in one of the city’s most popular shopping areas surrounded by busy roads, it was a particular challenge to navigate the congested streets for the deliveries and heavy lifting works required.

The four water-cooled centrifugal chillers each weigh more than 12 tonnes – almost as much as a double-decker bus. The project team therefore had to devise a fail-proof strategy to safely lift the massive chillers into place.

“One of the most challenging processes was to lower the chillers from the rooftop, turn them in the air, and get them into the plant,” recalls project manager Zhai Hui.

The chillers had to be transported to the site late at night to minimise the impact on traffic and the shopping mall. “We had to stay vigilant every evening to ensure all the stringent safety measures were in place as temporary road closures were put in place,” Zhai explains.

Engineering a seamless transformation

The shopping plaza remained open throughout the works. The construction team used Building Information Modelling (BIM) with 3D models to ensure the upgrade took place seamlessly and did not disrupt business.

By simulating the spatial equipment room design and managing the data for lifting and retrofitting work, the team was able to carry out all the works without any disturbance or damage to the existing complex.

BIM allowed the team to create an accurate virtual model of the building and to digitally conduct virtual walkthroughs to the chiller plant, enabling them to identify potential hazards, formulate a safe and practical strategy, and implement mitigating measures in advance.

When the retrofitting work was completed, CLP deployed whole cycle asset management and introduced advanced artificial intelligence technologies from its Smart Energy Connect digital platform to further improve the performance and energy efficiency of the cooling system.

The proprietary technology analyses real-time operational data of the chiller equipment and automatically adjusts settings so that the cooling system performs at optimal efficiency. Its unique features give the hardware greater efficiency and a longer life span.

Lighting the way to a smarter future

The success of the Po Park Shopping Plaza project highlights the growing potential for CLP to diversify its business and provide supporting infrastructure as well as innovative and technology-enabled energy solutions in the GBA.

Going forward, CLP will continue to explore emerging smart energy opportunities in cooling systems, data centres, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and energy management systems.

The company is also looking to invest in energy infrastructure projects for industrial parks and commercial sites as it continues to strengthen partnerships across the GBA and help write the next chapter of the area’s economic success story.