The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (November 20) announced its approval of the 30th batch of applications for the trials of green innovative transport technologies under the New Energy Transport Fund (the Fund).

     The eight newly approved applications are for the trials of six hybrid light buses and four double-deck electric buses and involve a total subsidy of about $16.4 million. The applications are from:

1215 (GMB) Limited
Chiap Shing Motor Limited
Holy Gain Limited
Man Sing Taxi and Public Light Bus Company Limited
Sai Kung P.L.B. (Maxicab) (No. 1 & 2) Company Limited
谭文升谢富有的士小巴
Citybus Limited
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited

     The latest approval brings the total number of trials being pursued under the Fund to 196 for testing 138 electric light goods vehicles, 14 single-deck electric buses, four double-deck electric buses, three electric light buses, three electric taxis, one electric medium goods vehicle (tractor), 48 hybrid light goods vehicles, 27 hybrid medium goods vehicles, 26 hybrid light buses, two single-deck hybrid buses, one solar air-conditioning system for a bus, four electric inverter air-conditioning systems for buses, three diesel-electric propulsion systems for ferries and one seawater scrubber for a ferry, amounting to a total subsidy of about $154 million.

     At present, 137 approved trials under the Fund are already on trial. One hundred and three of them have completed the trials, involving 51 electric light goods vehicles, nine single-deck electric buses, three electric taxis, three electric light buses, 43 hybrid light goods vehicles, 27 hybrid medium goods vehicles, 10 hybrid light buses, two single-deck hybrid buses, one solar air-conditioning system for a bus, four electric inverter air-conditioning systems for buses, one diesel-electric propulsion system for a ferry and one seawater scrubber for a ferry. The EPD will continue to upload the trial reports once completed to the Fund's website for public information.

     The Government has put in place the Fund since March 2011 to subsidise the testing and encourage more wide use of green innovative transport technologies to a variety of commercial transport tools, including goods vehicles (including special purpose vehicles), taxis, light buses, buses, vessels, motorcycles, non-road vehicles (applicable to vehicle models approved by the Transport Department or the Airport Authority Hong Kong), or the aforesaid transport tools of charitable/non-profit making organisations providing services to their clients. There are two categories of application under the Fund - Applications for Trial (AT) and Applications for Use. The former is to subsidise trials of green innovative transport technologies, whilst the latter is to subsidise direct procurement of products of technologies that have been proved under AT to be relatively mature and suitable for adoption locally. 

     The Fund is open for applications from transport operators and charitable/non-profit making organisations providing transport services to their clients. The technologies to be subsidised include new energy vehicles or vessels, conversion of in-use conventional vehicles or vessels to new energy vehicles or vessels, and after-treatment emission reduction devices or fuel saving devices applicable to vehicles and vessels. Transport operators and charitable/non-profit making organisations may apply for AT to try out different green innovative technology products subject to a maximum subsidy of $10 million for each application and a total of $12 million for each applicant.

     For more information on the Fund and the approved applications, please visit the website of the Fund (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/air/prob_solutions/new-energy-transport-fund.html) or call the enquiry hotline on 2824 0022.

Ends/Friday, November 20, 2020
Issued at HKT 16:00

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