CLP Power, Hong Kong’s largest electricity provider, has introduced an intelligent power management system and monitoring center to enhance the resilience of the city’s powergrid amid increasingly frequent extreme weather events.
Known as Grid-V, the system integrates approximately 3,000 data points and cameras, enabling 24/7 real-time monitoring of critical power facilities such as substations, high-voltage switchgear, overhead cables, and transmission lines, the company said.
“Leveraging artificial intelligence, the system analyzes environmental risks and abnormalities, issuing alerts of varying severity to notify engineers (to take) immediate action,” said Tony Kwok, associate director of Smartgrid & Innovation, Power Systems at CLP Power.
Accessible through an online platform, Grid-V allows engineers to oversee the entire supply network remotely, anytime and anywhere, strengthening centralized monitoring and management capabilities, Kwok added.
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Founded in 1901, CLP Power provides electricity to more than 80 percent of Hong Kong’s population, supplying Kowloon, the New Territories, and most outlying islands, including Lantau and Cheung Chau.
The company currently operates over 15,800 substations and manages a vast network of transmission and high-voltage distribution cables spanning more than 16,900 kilometers.
As extreme weather events such as supertyphoons and torrential rainstorms become more frequent, powergrids worldwide are under increasing strain. In recent years, Hong Kong has faced severe typhoons and record-breaking rainstorms, while earlier this year, California endured its most devastating winter wildfire in over four decades.
Voltage dips caused by external interference were traditionally addressed by dispatching engineers to manually patrol power lines and locate faults, which was particularly time-consuming in rural or hard-to-reach locations.
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With the deployment of Grid-V, these challenges are now mitigated by AI technology capable of detecting potential hazards such as fire, smoke, or foreign objects like drones, kites, and construction cranes, said Alvin Lit, principal manager of Smartgrid Development, Power Systems at CLP.
During its initial deployment, Grid-V demonstrated its effectiveness by identifying a crane arm that had come dangerously close to an overhead power line. The system promptly issued an alert, enabling engineers to assess the risk on-site. This ensured the crane maintained a safe distance from the cables, minimizing the chances of an accident while improving coordination with contractors to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In January, the system played a pivotal role in managing risks during a severe wildfire near Yuen Long’s Kai Kung Leng. Multi-angle cameras were used to monitor the fire’s development in real time, allowing engineers to quickly evaluate the situation and adjust power supply points to protect nearby transmission lines. The cameras’ pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities provided comprehensive coverage, reducing blind spots and enabling rapid risk assessments.
Looking ahead, CLP Power plans to expand the Grid-V system’s coverage and functionality. This includes exploring the integration of drone video analysis to further enhance monitoring of overhead transmission networks.
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Additionally, the power supplier aims to optimize AI analysis and alert mechanisms to bolster grid resilience and improve safety management at construction sites, said Kwok.
