The Secretariat of the Green Tech Fund (GTF) said today (October 5) that the first batch of a total of eight projects have been approved in the first round of applications, involving a total grant of around $39 million. The applications were submitted by local universities and a private enterprise.

     The Government set up the $200 million fund in 2020 to provide better and more focused funding support for research and development (R&D) projects which can help Hong Kong decarbonise and enhance environmental protection as Hong Kong strives towards its goal of carbon neutrality before 2050. All applications are considered and assessed by the GTF Assessment Committee which is chaired by the Director of Environmental Protection and comprises members from academia, industry and green groups.

     The GTF was open for the first round of applications from December 2020 to February 2021. The response was overwhelming, with over 190 applications received. The list of the eight approved R&D projects is at the Annex. Relevant details are published on the GTF webpage (www.gtf.gov.hk/en/project_information/project_information.html). These projects cover a wide range of topics, including the promotion of new energy and renewable energy (RE), promotion of a circular economy and turning waste into resources, low-carbon waste management technologies, and smart air quality monitoring:

* Promotion of new energy and RE: Development of more cost-effective and efficient technologies for producing green hydrogen; development of a demonstration system to promote public awareness of green hydrogen technologies; and development of solar cells that could be printed on different surfaces to increase the power generation efficiency of photovoltaic systems, as well as building-integrated photovoltaic systems.

* Promotion of a circular economy and turning waste into resources: Collection of waste batteries, electric vehicle batteries in particular, and recycling the cathode materials therein to produce fuel cells; and research on the use of yard waste to produce biochar building materials.

* Low-carbon waste management technologies: Research on more energy-efficient ways to purify landfill leachate which has to be treated before it is discharged into the public sewerage system.

* Smart air quality monitoring: Development of low-cost smart air sensors capable of accurate and real-time air quality monitoring under different temperature and humidity conditions. 

     These projects will help promote the R&D as well as application of green technologies in the areas of decarbonisation and energy saving, new energy, waste management, and air quality, etc, thereby expediting the low-carbon transformation in Hong Kong in a bid to strive towards the goal of carbon neutrality. 

     The GTF Secretariat will announce the vetting results of the remaining applications by batches, and invite the second round of applications later this year. Details about the GTF are available on the GTF website (www.gtf.gov.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Issued at HKT 18:42

NNNN