LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
246
products have come into effect in stages. At December, some 8 000 electrical contractors and 50 000 electrical workers held valid registration.
A new regulation will be introduced in 2000 to protect electricity supply lines from damage during works activities, in the interests of safety and of ensuring the continuity of electricity supply.
In 1999, in enforcing the Electricity Ordinance, the Government conducted 15 925 site inspections to check the safety standards of electrical installations and electrical product supply outlets, and 226 prosecutions were instituted against violations.
Gas
Gas is widely used throughout Hong Kong for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes. Two main types of fuel gas are available for general use: Towngas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Hong Kong has about two million gas customers. In 1999, Towngas accounted for 80 per cent of the total fuel gas sold in energy terms, and LPG for 20 per cent.
Towngas is manufactured in plants at Tai Po and Ma Tau Kok, both using naphtha as a feedstock. They have output capacities of 8.4 and 2.2 million cubic metres per day respectively. The gas is supplied through an integrated distribution system to about 1.38 million customers.
The mains network extends throughout Hong Kong via a 120-kilometre high- pressure pipeline and some 2 708 kilometres of distribution mains.
LPG is imported into Hong Kong by sea and stored at five terminals on Tsing Yi before being distributed to approximately 770 000 customers. About 59 per cent of total sales is supplied in cylinders by 332 appointed gas distributor shops operating 640 cylinder wagons.
The Government aims to provide designated overnight parking sites for these cylinder wagons. There are three sites in operation, located at Tuen Mun, Kwai Tsing and Pok Fu Lam. The latter is a new site which started operation in 1999. LPG is also supplied by road tankers to 149 bulk storage installations providing centralised piped gas supplies.
Since 1982, the Government has encouraged the installation of a piped gas supply in new buildings to discourage further growth in the use of LPG cylinders in domestic dwellings. It also began a programme of encouraging the upgrading of sub-standard gas water-heaters. Less than 27 per cent of domestic dwellings now use cylinders. New legislation has been enacted to ban the use of flueless gas water heaters for supplying bathrooms and showers. It is expected to commence in April 2000.
The Gas Safety Ordinance contains provisious to safeguard the general public and gas consumers. This ordinance and its subsidiary regulations came into operation on April 1, 1991 and cover all aspects of fuel gas importation, manufacture, storage, transport, supply and use of gas. The legislation was amended in 1996 to encompass periodic examination of gasholders, deter damaging of underground gas pipes, improve safety requirements for the maintenance of gas installations and prohibit the importation and sale of certain types of disposable LPG containers.
Since April 1, 1992, all gas supply companies, gas installers and contractors must be registered with the Gas Authority (the Director of Electrical and Mechanical