RESTRICTED
}
60876
MORE MEANINGFUL TERMS THIS EQUATES TO 1,200 MILLION TONNES COAL:
200 MILLION TONNES CRUDE OIL AND 240 MILLION KW OF ELECTRICITY.
FORTUNATELY CHINA'S NATURAL POTENTIAL FOR ACHIEVING THESE LEVELS
IS CONSIDERABLE BUT A MAJOR HINDRANCE IS LIKELY TO BE THE LACK OF
INFRASTRUCTURE AS PARTICULARLY REFLECTED BY LIMITED TECHNOLOGY, A
SCARCITY OF SKILLED PERSONNEL AND INADEQUATE TRANSPORT SYSTEMS.
BY CONTRAST, BRITAIN'S PREDOMINANCE IN WESTERN EUROPE ACROSS A
WIDE SPECTRUM OF ENERGY ACTIVITY, INCLUDING THE HIGHLY IMPORTANT
SUBJECT OF ENERGY CONSERVATION, GIVES UK INDUSTRY UNRIVALLED
EXPERIENCE AT THE FOREFRONT OF ENERGY TECHNOLOGY AND IS THUS WELL
QUALIFIED TO CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY TO CHINA'S PROGRAMME OF
ENERGY REFORM. ENERGY RELATED FIRMS IN THE UK ARE READY TO
INVEST IN CHINA AND TRANSFER TECHNOLOGY TO CHINA AND THERE ARE
ALREADY ENCOURAGING SIGNS OF COOPERATION.
CHINA'S GREATEST IMMEDIATE NEED IS ELECTRIC POWER
GENERATION WITH A 3-FOLD INCREASE FORECAST OVER THE NEXT 15
YEARS. MUCH OF THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF
CONVENTIONAL THERMAL POWER STATIONS AND IN THIS CONNECTION, BRITISH ELECTRICITY INTERNATIONAL, THE OVERSEAS CONSULTANCY ARM
OF THE UK CENTRAL ELECTRICITY GENERATING BOARD AND THE UK
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY INDUSTRY, HAS BEEN CONTRACTED TO COMMISSION
AND TRAIN OPERATING PERSONNEL FOR THE SHAJIAO 'B' POWER STATION
IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE. FURTHER BRITISH INVOLVEMENT IS SOUGHT IN
THE MAJOR UPGRADING OF AN EXISTING STATION IN HUNAN PROVINCE AND
THERE ARE ALSO HOPES THAT BRITISH FIRMS WILL BECOME INVOLVED IN
THE REDESIGN AND UNDER-GROUNDING OF THE LOW VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION
NETWORK IN SHANGHAI.
CHINA WILL CONTINUE TO RELY, IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, ON THERMAL POWER WITH A PROGRESSIVE SHIFT IN THE LONGER TERM TOWARDS
HYDRO-ELECTRICITY WITH NUCLEAR POWER ALSO PLAYING A PART. LIKE
THE UK, CHINA RECOGNISES THE POTENTIAL OF NUCLEAR POWER IN MEETING THE WORLD'S ENERGY DEMANDS IN FUTURE DECADES SUBJECT, OF COURSE, TO THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARDS OF SAFETY. CHINA'S SECOND COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR STATION IS TO BE CONSTRUCTED AT DAYA
BAY, SOME 50 KMS FROM HONG KONG AND FRENCH AND UK INDUSTRY WILL EACH MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION. THE UK CONTRACT, VALUED AT
-
2
RESTRICTED
1
Page 75Page 76