HKUST Annual Report 2024-2025

55 S U S TA I N A B L E H O R I Z O N S Energy-saving and Emissions Reduction The launch of the city’s largest liquid immersion cooling system in our new High-Performance Computing facility over the reporting year is expected to avoid 900 tons of carbon emissions annually. This system will reduce carbon emissions by 45% compared to traditional rack-level air cooling, achieve over 10% improvement in performance per watt, and yield approximately HK$3 million in annual savings. Other notable energy projects include the remodeling of laboratory virtual stack fans, upgrades to direct current fans and nano filters in air handling units, and lift modernization. Launched Hong Kong’s Largest Liquid Immersion Cooling System Waste Management HKUST partnered with the Government of the HKSAR’s Environmental Protection Department to deploy two sets of smart waste bins across the main campus and staff quarters. The advanced smart waste bins automatically record the weight of recyclables collected, eliminating the need for manual input and ensuring accurate waste data for our assessments. The bins are also integrated into the GREEN$ rewards system, which incentivizes recycling by offering rewards. The bins have already collected 1,810 kilograms of recyclables from April to June 2025. Moreover, these smart waste bins are accessible to the broader community, extending HKUST ’ s commi tment to enhanc i ng r ecyc l i ng infrastructure throughout Hong Kong. The University has reduced total waste sent to the landfill by 46% compared to the 2014 baseline, while the volume of recyclables collected has increased by over 890%.