1
Press Notice
HKR164|1
OFFICER
REGISTRY
123 Victoria Street, London SW1Ę GRB İTEL/
ITEL
212549
351
Department
of Industry
Ref: 328
December 12,1978
£100M HONG KONG TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ORDER
Alan Williams Announces New Export Order
China Light and Power has announced in Hong Kong today that a contract will shortly be signed with Balfour Beatty Ltd, a member of the BICC Group, for their new 400 kV transmission system in Kowloon and the New Territories of Hong Kong. This export order is worth approximately £100m over the next eight years to Balfour Beatty and various UK sub- contractors including BICC Power Cables and Parsons Peebles.
The Government effort to secure the contract was co-ordinated by Mr Alan Williams, Minister of State for Industry, and negotiations were conducted in Hong Kong with close collaboration between officials of the Department, their advisors Lazards, the British Trade Commission, Export Credits Guarantee Department and the contractors. Welcoming the
order Mr Williams said today:-
"I am delighted that negotiations have been successfully concluded, and that UK industry has again been able to secure valuable business in this very important market. The order will bring substantial work to factories in Hereford, Erith, Prescot and Edinburgh, and provides further evidence of the gains to be had from the close integration of the efforts of UK industry, Government and the City in pursuit of major export
business.
"It also underlines once more the opportunities that exist for British industry in Hong Kong and South East Asia".
In January this year it was announced that GEC Turbine Generators, with Babcock and Wilcox as main sub-contractors, had won a major £100m contract for the supply of two 350 MW generating sets for the new Castle Peak Power Station to be operated by China Light and Power and Esso. The announcement of the order for the transmissiön system is the next stage in a major development programme. The 400 kV 'supergrid' is planned eventually to form a complete ring linking the major population centres in the New Territories and Kowloon with the
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