The first stage of Tseung Kwan O desalination plant is expected to be completed in 2023. [Photo by Raymond Chan/chinadaily.com.cn]

The construction of a desalination plant in Hong Kong by CSCEC designed to expand water supplies in the special administrative region is expected to finish and put into use in 2023, the project engineers said on Tuesday.

The Tseung Kwan O desalination plant, built with a water production capacity of 135,000 cubic metres per day, can meet 5 percent of Hong Kong's current fresh water demand, said Lee Kwun-chung, chief engineer from the Water Supplies Department of the Hong Kong SAR.

After its entry into service, it will be the first desalination plant using seawater reverse osmosis technology in the city, the most advanced and efficient technology for the production of drinking water from seawater, Lee said.

The China State Construction International Holding Limited, a State-owned company based in Hong Kong, is the major constructor of the project.

The first stage of Tseung Kwan O desalination plant is expected to be completed in 2023. [Photo by Raymond Chan/chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhang Baoping, from the company and the manager of the project, said the construction began in December 2019 and will end in March 2023.

"Although affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, the project is expected to be completed as scheduled," he said, adding that many construction materials are from cities in Guangdong province, which helps to save time cost.

The desalination plant is part of a wider strategy of the SAR to tackle water supplies challenges associated with climate change and diversify its supply sources.

The daily consumption of water in Hong Kong is 2.7 million cubic meters. About 75 percent of the fresh water comes from the mainland, and 25 percent from local reservoirs and rainwater, official data showed.

The first stage of Tseung Kwan O desalination plant is expected to be completed in 2023. [Photo by Raymond Chan/chinadaily.com.cn]

The first stage of Tseung Kwan O desalination plant is expected to be completed in 2023. [Photo by Raymond Chan/chinadaily.com.cn]

(With inputs from China Daily)