CLP engineers accomplished E-Base Power-On mission on Antarctica
Hong Kong, April 1, 2010 – Five young CLP engineers from Hong Kong, India and Australia have succeeded in restoring broken down renewable energy (RE) devices and installing additional solar panels for the only privately-run education and research centre (E-Base) operated in Antarctica as they return to Hong Kong and recount their experience during a “Welcome Home” gathering.
The young engineers, dubbed COOL (Climate ActiOn JuniOr League) Captains, were selected from nearly 40 top CLP engineers in operations in Hong Kong, Australia and India. They embarked on their first COOL mission three weeks ago to help the organization “2041”, founded by polar explorer Sir Robert Swan, to re-power his educational base for climate studies.
The COOL Captains scored a number of “firsts” in their first ever mission to the Antarctica, including the first time that they have been involved in installing RE devices such as a wind turbine and solar panels; the first time they were tasked to work under extreme climate conditions; and the first time to witness first hand the international governmental community at work in the Antarctic to build knowledge and experience of managing the world’s climate issues.
The expedition combined hard work for the adventurous COOL Captains as they experienced a night camping on the snow star gazing and wrapped in well insulated sleeping bags to protect them from the frozen conditions with some entertaining events. The team recounted that they also intrepidly swam in the icy waters of Antarctica with the curious wildlife onlookers as they leapt into the Antarctic Ocean for some 20 seconds.
These were just some of the fascinating experiences and observations that team leader Sandeep Sharma (Hong Kong) shared during the “Welcome Home” gathering with his fellow team members, Priscilla Chang (Hong Kong), Nagesh Sayam (India), Stephen Boscoscuro (Australia) and Giselle Coromandel (Australia).
“The whole experience exceeded our expectations. We had a vague idea of what it might be like but every day we were exposed to something new and exciting, from the people we met, to the wildlife and nature we saw, to the unexpected challenges we faced. We feel very privileged to have been part of this unique experience usually reserved to scientists.” explained Sandeep.
Andrew Brandler, Chief Executive Officer of CLP Group, welcomed the COOL team’s return. “This Antarctic Expedition has been a huge success, and despite the challenges and harsh physical conditions that these five young engineers faced, they used their engineering skills and knowledge to make a meaningful difference to our environment.”
“They are CLP’s future leaders who will help move the company into a low-carbon future and help us achieve our target of cutting the carbon intensity of our power generation portfolio by 75% by 2050, as stated in our Climate Vision 2050,” he added.
The COOL Captains will become the ambassadors for the CLP Young Power Programme (YPP), a regional youth leadership initiative that aims to promote the knowledge of the power industry and environmental and social responsibility.
For more information about the COOL Captains and their Antarctic experience, please read their blogs at www.clpyoungpower.com/en/blog.
‘Project COOL’ is a carbon-zero expedition. All CO2 emissions produced during the three-week expedition will be offset by the accredited energy efficiency projects offered by TRUenergy-a wholly owned subsidiary of the CLP Group.
About CLP Young Power Programme (YPP)
CLP has organised the YPP every summer since 1999. In 2009, the programme was extended from its Hong Kong base to India and Chinese Mainland to nurture local young leaders. The leadership development programme provides a unique exposure for high school students to gain hands-on experience in the power industry and to understand the importance of sustainable development.
About CLP
CLP Holdings Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, is the holding company for the CLP Group, which is one of the largest investor-owned power businesses in Asia. Through CLP Power Hong Kong, it operates a vertically integrated electricity supply business in Hong Kong, and provides a highly reliable supply of electricity and excellent customer services to 5.7 million people in its supply area.
Outside Hong Kong, CLP also invests in energy businesses in mainland China, Australia, India and Southeast Asia. It is the largest external investor in the Chinese mainland electricity industry, and a leading international private sector power company in the Asia-Pacific region with a diversified portfolio of power generation from gas, coal, renewables and nuclear.
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Angela To
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CLP Holdings Limited
Tel: 2678 8516
Email: angela.to@clp.com.hk