HONG KONG & CHINA GAS CO. PLANT
History.
said
View of the Plant from San Shan Road.
During the occupation both Works were M.C., R.C. Lee, O.B.E. and J.L. Marden operated by Japanese Engineers until Esq. The Manager is Mr. T. Spikins. shortage of coal compelled the shut down B.Sc., M.I. Gas E. of the West Point Works in August 1944 Production Plant. and the Kowloon Works in June 1945.
The history of the Company can be to have commenced in May 1861 when letters were exchanged between the then Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Hercules
Both Works manufacture Coal Gas and Robinson, Kt. and Mr. William Glen, When the War in the East ended in Carburetted Water Gas. The carbonizing which led to this gentleman being granted August 1945 both Works were found to plant at the West Point Works consists the concession of supplying gas to the be intact as regards War Damage, but of a bench of 24 Glover-West Vertical City of Victoria. The Company was the Manufacturing Plant was in a bad Retorts, two Humphrey & Glasgow C.W.G. formed in March 1862 with the object of state of repair at West Point and only in Plants and a new C.W.G. Plant of 500,000 supplying gas in Hong Kong and other fair condition at Jordan Road. There cuft/day capacity will be erected this places in China, and by Agreement it were no stocks of Coal, Coke, Tar or fuel year. The total capacity of the plant at took over the Victoria Concession.
oil, however coal was eventually obtained West Point Works will then be 1,650,000 from India in December 1945 and Kowloon cuft/day. Land was obtained for a Gas Works on Works recommenced gas supply on Jan. the waterfront in the West Point district uary 3rd, and Hong Kong on January
The production plant at the Jordan and gas manufacturing plant, mains and 25th 1946. The Holders had not escaped Road Works comprises 68 Horizontal Stop fittings were shipped from Great Britain damage, but had been repaired in a far Ended Retorts, two Humphrey & Glasgow and erected under the supervision of a from satisfactory manner by the Japanese. C.W.G. Plants and a Producer Gas Unit. Manager appointed by the Company. On The Distribution system had suffered con- The total gas manufacturing capacity of December 3rd 1864 Hong Kong was lit by siderable damage and the unaccounted for Gas for the first time and records show gas in the first month of business amount- that there were 15 miles of mains and ed 62%. In many cases water mains had 500 public lamps. Gas Production has been broken along side gas mains and continued at the West Point site since water and silt had found its way into the that date, although due to land reclama- mains. Over 2000 lamp posts had been tion, the waterfront is пок some 100 removed and in most cases the posts had yards distance from the Works. In 1891 been snapped off at the base and no the Company had the foresight to pur- attempt had been made to cap off the chase land in Kowloon for a second Gas service.
Works; the installation of the Plant was
completed in the following year and gas The value of Coal and Residual Stocks has been supplied in Kowloon since that lost, Damage of Plant and Mains, loss of time. Also in the year 1891 the Company appliances, meters and lamps, amounted obtained a site at Wanchai for Holder to almost HK$2,000,000.00 and in сол- Station and in 1935 a Holder was erected sequence it was not until 1952 that the on a site at Kennedy Town,
Company decided to finance the building of the new Works at Ma Tau Kok.
By 1933 the development of Kowloon was such that the Company decided to From its formation until recently the provide for an entirely new Works and a Company was controlled by a Board of site was secured for this purpose at Ma Directors resident in Great Britain but Tau Kok. A sea wall was erected, the in March 1955 Her Majesty's Treasury land reclaimed and by 1936 a 500,000 cft gave consent to the transfer of the Com- Holder had been erected and Tar and pany's residence to Hong Kong and the Water Tanks constructed. However fur- Company has now a local Board of Direc ther development of the Works was de- tors, Messrs. Wheelock Marden & Co. ferred because of the political unrest in Ltd., being Secretaries. At present the China and then came the War and the Board of Directors consists of G.E. Japanese Occupation,
Marden, M.C. (Chairman), Hon. C. Blaker,
this Works is 1,150,000 cuft/day.
The Carbonizing and C.W.G. Plant in course of construction.
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