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Brief No. 6
Visit of Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs to Hong Kong
October 1967
Water De-salination
71
De-Salination proposals, nuclear or non-nuclear, have been rejected
by the Hong Kong authorities on two main grounds. The cost of producing
water by this means is high and cheaper conventional sources are available;
and de-salination plants on the scale proposed for Hong Kong are untried
and untested. With the completion of the Plover Cove Reservoir next
year, Hong Kong will be able to meet its basic requirements into the
early 70s without the help of Chinese supplies, given normal rainfall.
It seems likely, however, that before long there will come a stage when
the exploitation of conventional sources in Hong Kong will become
increasingly expensive and the cost margin in their favour will narrow to
a point at which the higher cost of de-salination will be more than
off-set by the advantage of being independent of the vagaries of the
annual rainfall and of Chinese supplies.
2.
Binnie and Partners who were commissioned by the Hong Kong Government
for an appraisal of the Colony's long-term water supply problem have
recently submitted their report. It is understood that this covers in
some depth the question of de-salination.
by the Hong Kong Government.
The report is being considered
3. It would be very helpful if the Minister could secure details of
the consultant's recommendations and of the Hong Kong Government's
reactions. The Prime Minister, the Ministry of Technology, the
Ministry of Overseas Development and the Atomic Energy Authority are all
very interested in the prospects for de-salination in Hong Kong since
an order for a British installation there would be a considerable
breakthrough for this country against strong American competition.
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