Companhia de Electricidade de Macau facts for kids
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| Industry | Electrical power | ||||||
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| Founded | 1972 | ||||||
| Headquarters | |||||||
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Key people
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Fu Jianguo (Chairman of Board of Directors) João Marques da Cruz (Vice-Chairman of Board of Directors) Bernie Leong (Chairman of Executive Committee) |
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| Products | Electricity | ||||||
| Services | Electricity distribution and transmission | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 澳門電力股份有限公司 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 澳门电力股份有限公司 | ||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 澳門電力 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 澳门电力 | ||||||
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| Second alternative Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 澳電 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 澳电 | ||||||
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Companhia de Electricidade de Macau – CEM, S.A. or simply CEM (which means Chinese: 澳電 in Chinese) is a company that provides electricity to Macau. It's a private company, but it's the only one allowed to send, share, and sell electricity there. CEM also has its own power plants that can make 408 megawatts of electricity.
Contents
History of Electricity in Macau
How CEM Started
Before CEM, another company called "Macao Electric Lighting Company Ltd." provided electricity from 1906 to 1972. This company was based in British Hong Kong. But in 1972, it didn't follow its agreement with the government of Portuguese Macau. So, CEM took over the job of supplying electricity.
Growing and Changing
CEM got a lot of help from the Portuguese government in 1982 to become better organized. In 1985, CEM signed a 25-year agreement to keep providing electricity. Since then, it has become very good at saving money and using new technology.
In November 2010, the Government of Macau and CEM signed a new agreement. This one was for 15 years and started on December 1, 2010.
New Owners for CEM
In 2014, a company called Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited bought a big part of CEM. They became CEM's largest owner.
In 2016, the old Macau Power Station was officially closed down. It had been making electricity for over 110 years!
What Does the CEM Logo Mean?
The CEM logo shows how the company is connected to its customers, to Macau, and to its employees. It has three curved lines that look like they are moving. These lines show that everyone works together in a friendly way. The logo is simple and bright. Yellow stands for energy and life, while orange means good fortune and growth.
How Electricity Gets to You
The Power Network
CEM's electricity network in Macau is mostly made of underground cables. This helps keep the city looking nice and protects the cables.
High-Voltage Cables
The main electricity network has 25 big power stations and many kilometers of high-voltage cables. These cables carry electricity at very high voltages (like 66 kV, 110 kV, and 220 kV).
Macau's electricity network is also connected to China's power grid. This means CEM can get electricity from China if needed. There are special cables that link Macau to substations in Zhuhai and other parts of China.
Medium and Low-Voltage Cables
After the high-voltage cables, the electricity goes to smaller stations. From there, it travels through medium-voltage cables (11 kV) to local areas. Then, it goes through low-voltage cables to reach homes and businesses.
CEM also manages the streetlights in Macau. There are about 11,105 streetlights connected by many kilometers of cable.
How Well Does CEM Work?
CEM works hard to make sure you always have electricity. In 2018, their report showed that power was available 99.9998% of the time. This means that, on average, the power was only off for about 6.56 minutes per customer each year. Their goal was to keep it off for less than 20 minutes, so they did a great job!
CEM follows international rules to make sure they are doing things in a good way for the environment and for safety. They have special certificates for managing the environment, keeping workers safe, and making sure their services are high quality.
Where CEM Makes Electricity
CEM has two power stations on Coloane Island: Coloane Power Station A (CCA) and Coloane Power Station B (CCB).
- CCA uses special diesel generators that run at a low speed.
- CCB uses a modern technology called a combined cycle gas turbine.
Who Owns CEM?
Many different companies and groups own parts of CEM. The biggest owner is Nam Kwong Development (H.K.) Limited, which owns 42% of the company.
Other owners include:
- Energy Asia Consultancy (21%)
- Polytech Industrial (11%)
- Asiainvest - Investments (10%)
- The Government of Macau (8%)
- China Power International Holding (6%)
- Other smaller investors (2%)
Before 1987, the Government of Macau owned the biggest part of CEM. But over time, they sold some of their shares.
How CEM is Organized
CEM has different departments that help it run smoothly:
- Customer Services Department: Helps customers with their electricity needs.
- Transmission and Distribution Department: Manages sending electricity through cables.
- Generation Department: Takes care of making electricity at the power stations.
- Power and Networks Dispatch Department: Controls the flow of electricity.
- Finance Department: Manages the company's money.
- Procurement and Logistics Department: Buys what the company needs and moves things around.
- Human Resources and Sustainability Department: Looks after employees and makes sure the company is good for the environment.
- Information Systems Department: Handles all the computer systems.
- Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Communications Office: Deals with rules and talks to the public.
See also
- Electricity sector in Macau
- List of power stations in Macau
