PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
175
Electricity is generated by a plant at North Point which has an in- stalled capacity of 345 MW. A new generating station is being built on Ap Lei Chau and the first 60 MW generating unit will be brought into operation early in 1968. A second similar unit will be commis- sioned in the same year. Further extensions are in the planning stage.
Extensions of the transmission system include three 132 kV overhead lines designed to reinforce supplies to the west, north and east of Hong Kong Island. The first line is to be completed early in 1968. As part of development in the city and built-up districts, 132 kV underground cables were laid.
The system transmission voltages are 66 kV, 33 kV and 22 kV. Primary distribution is carried out at 11 kV and 6.6 kV. The second- ary distribution voltages are 346 volts, three-phase, four-wire and 200 volts, single-phase. The frequency of the system is stabilized at 50 cycles a second. The obsolescent 22 kV and 6.6 kV systems are gradually being replaced by 33 kV and 11 kV systems. Maximum demand on the company's generating plant rose to 220 MW in 1967, an increase of 9.24 per cent over 1966. The number of con- sumers increased by 8.33 per cent during the year, and sales of electricity amounted to 890.1 million kWh, an increase of 9.09 per cent. These were made up of: domestic and residential, 264.4 million kWh; commercial, 469.8 million kWh; industrial, 149.9 million kWh; street lighting, 5.9 million kWh.
Charges for electricity range from 28 cents to 15.4 cents a unit for lighting and 12 cents to 11.4 cents a unit for power, depending on the consumption. Special power rates are quoted for bulk sup- plies of industrial power.
The second stage of the company's re-housing scheme for its workmen, a 400-family block of self-contained flats, was started during the year and is due for occupation in 1968.
The China Light and Power Company Limited supplies electricity to Kowloon and the New Territories, including Lantau and a number of outlying islands. The demand for power has risen considerably over the years; in 1967, the peak load was 455 MW, which was 14 per cent more than in 1966, and 121 per cent more than in 1962.