IGEM FEDS Chairman

Mr. Charles CHAN Hing-lung

Chairman of IGEM - Far East District Section (2024/2025)

2024

It is my great honour to be elected as Chairman of IGEM FEDS for session 2024-25.  I would like to express my gratitude to our Immediate Past Chairman, Mr. Zhou Heng Xiang, for his leadership and contribution to FEDS over the past two years. 

With the Chinese government’s commitment in achieving carbon neutral by 2060, and placing hydrogen as the central element in the scheme, there has been great developments in hydrogen activities in China, and Hong Kong is closely following the footsteps.  Hong Kong has its own hydrogen double-decker bus commencing operations earlier this year, and there are a few more hydrogen projects now under construction, expected to come on-line later this year.  This surge in hydrogen usage has placed IGEM in a new role, expanding ourselves from the traditional fuel gases into hydrogen.  IGEM in the UK is well placed in this new age of hydrogen, of which, not least, is the on-line hydrogen resource centre, which members can access by logging in.  At the end of last year, within our FEDS, we welcomed our first Chartered Member who came not from a background of the traditional fuel gases like Towngas, LPG or natural gas, but exclusively hydrogen.  The growth in hydrogen is surely an exciting opportunity for us, and we will be putting our efforts in expanding into this area.

We will be looking at organizing technical visits and talks, to look at the rapidly expanding new areas of hydrogen and green energy, especially in China.  A visit to the UK is also in our plans.  The last time we did that was more than 5 years ago in 2018, and we hope to have a UK trip organized early next year.

Taking on this Chairmanship, I hope I can continue with the great track records established by my predecessors.  All of them have put in great efforts to shape our FEDS to what it is today.  Sadly, we will be missing one of our past Chairman and a great contributor to FEDS, the late Mr. Kenneth Lun.  Many of our members would have received his guidance, friendship, comradeship, mentorship, in one way or another.

The coming session will be very busy, and I know that I can count on the support of the committee to help me deliver the activities I have in mind.  I hope all members will lend me your support to make this session a great success.