LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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MW unit, consisting of two 125 MW units operating in tandem from a single 250 MW boiler will be completed early in 1984. These two units were originally designed for oil firing at the Ap Lei Chau Power Station. This will see completion of Phase I of the Lamma Power Station. Phase II will consist of two 350 MW units ensuring that the company will be able to meet rising electricity demand in the future a demand that has grown over the last decade from 423 MW in 1973 to 1 340 MW in 1983, an increase of 216 per cent.
The company's transmission system operates at 275 kV, 132 kV and 66 kV, whereas distribution is effected mainly at 11 kV and 346 volts. With the exception of a small proportion of 132 kV overhead transmission lines, the entire transmission and distribution system is underground or by submarine cable. The electricity supply is 50 Hz, 200 volts (single phase) and 346 volts (three phase). For larger consumers, supplies at high voltage are also available.
The transmission systems of CLP and HEC are interconnected by means of cross- harbour links. The interconnector, which was commissioned in 1981, currently has a capacity of 480 MVA. When completed, the system will have a total capacity of 720 MVA. The interconnection results in cost savings to consumers due to economic energy transfers between the two systems and a reduction in spinning reserve requirements.
CLP's system is also interconnected with that of Guangdong Power Company of China and about one million units of electricity are exported to Guangdong Province each day. The interconnection results in better utilisation of the company's generating plant during off-peak demand periods and provides the facility to feed power from Guangdong to the company's system when necessary.
As a future means of providing additional electricity for the territory, the government announced in November its willingness, in principle, to endorse a suitable off-take agreement through which Hong Kong would purchase power from a nuclear power plant to be built at Daya Bay, Guangdong Province in China. The government, in making its decision on the project, did so in the belief that the project will ultimately prove to be in the interests of Hong Kong's consumers, and that the cost of power would be no greater than that of power provided by fossil fuel-based generating plant in Hong Kong.
On December 5, the Hong Kong Nuclear Investment Company Limited (HKNIC) was incorporated with an initial authorised capital of $400 million. HKNIC, in a joint venture with the Guangdong Nuclear Power Investment Incorporated, will build and operate the proposed nuclear power station. Later in the month, a team of Hong Kong Government officials, led by the Secretary for Economic Services, made a two-day visit to Guangdong where they had discussions with China's Vice Minister for Water Resources and Electric Power about the nuclear power station and visited the site of the project at Daya Bay. During the meeting it was agreed that liaison should be established between the Royal Observatory and the relevant departments on the Chinese side responsible for the setting up of radiation monitoring facilities. The nuclear power station will comprise two 900 MW nuclear reactors.
Main electricity statistics and sales figures are at Appendix 30.
Gas
Gas is supplied for domestic, commercial and industrial use as conventional Towngas by Hong Kong and China Gas Company and in the form of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by most of the major oil companies in Hong Kong. Towngas accounts for approximately 40 per cent of the total gas sold and LPG 60 per cent. The customer split, however, is approximately 260 000 for Towngas and 800 000 for LPG.