150
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
during 1955 there were more demands than ever from both industrial and domestic consumers. The increase in demand is principally caused by new urban and industrial develop- ment, the demolition of old buildings and their replacement by larger modern structures. 604 factories were connected to the Company's mains, compared with 385 in 1954.
This expansion has required the planning of a new power station, the building of which will be carried out in stages. Further turbines, boilers, transformers and switchgear have been ordered in connexion with the project.
The present capacity of the station is 82,500 kw., but this will be considerably increased on completion of the schemes now under way.
Approximately 367,000,000 units of electricity were generated during the financial year 1954-5, of which 318,642,047 units were sold. Total sales (in units) were as follows:
Lighting
Public lighting
Power
Bulk supply
64,450,101
2,283,873
100,883,593
151,024,460
318,642,027
In September 1954 the Company had 55,980 consumers. By October 1955 the number had risen to 65,412, an increase of 16.8%.
Charges for electricity (per unit) at 1 January 1950 are :
Lighting Power
Domestic power
Kowloon New Territories
29c.
37c.
14c.
14c.
13c.
13c.
{
These rates are subject to a variable fuel surcharge which is at present 9%. Special rates are available for large industrial consumers.
Work has started on an important extension of the Company's service in the New Territories which, when completed, will benefit a large but comparatively remote area. A submarine cable has been laid from the mainland just west of Sham Tseng across to the small island of Ma Wan. An overhead line, the poles for which have already been erected, crosses this island, and a further stretch of submarine cable