The Hongkong Electric Company, Limited was founded in 1889 and is one of the world's oldest power companies.
The first power station in Hong Kong was secretly built on the site of an old graveyard in Star Street, Wan Chai. The plant was designed by electrical engineer William Wickham who subsequently remained its manager until 1910. At 6:00 p.m. on December 1, 1890, 50 street lights along Queen's Road Central, Battery Path and Upper Albert Road were switched on. The lights failed on the second night then again one week later.
A second power plant was built in North Point in 1919 and a third at Ap Lei Chau in 1968 which was decommissioned in 1989. Since 1990 all HEC's electric generators have been situated at the Lamma Power Station
HK Electric supplies electricity to Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island. Electricity is generated at Lamma Power Station and transmitted at very high voltage - 275kV and 132kV - to various load centres via the transmission system. The network mainly comprises 275kV and 132kV underground and submarine cables, with very few 132kV overhead lines remaining in the system. In the major load centres where the transmission circuit ends, large capacity transformers are used to step down the voltage to 11kV or 22kV before distribution to customer substations.
The use of underground cables in the transmission system ensures supply reliability even in inclement weather such as typhoon and is ideal for a densely loaded area like Hong Kong. In addition to burying the cables directly underground, six dedicated cable tunnels have been built. Cable tunnels connect between Wah Fu and Bowen Road, and from Bowen Road to Kennedy Road (this building). This location of the head office of HK Electric at Kennedy Road is used as a main distribution centre, with cable tunnels and buried cables extending out to the rest of Hong Kong Island.
The cache is not at the listed coordinates. You can access this location from the waypoint, and then walking up the valley (on the way you can also explore the old Victoria Magazine, visitor centre, and nearby cache 'I am a Huge Magazine'). Approach the HK Electric building by going through the underpass and then up the steps or lift. Once here, you will find a sheltered public resting area (behind the lift). Count the number of benches inside this sheltered area. Then return to the entrance to HK Electric building. Look across the road, and you will see a high concrete wall which has thicker columns and square 'panels' in between. Cross the road (by the underpass) and start at the end of the wall. The first column is number 23 - walk along the wall counting down for every column passed, until you reach the number that is the same as the number of benches you just counted. You are now ready to put your thinking cap on and find the cache at this location. Please be aware of walking and jogging muggles, I suggest you bring a bag or something to cover your activities. And please replace the cache in the same condition as found.