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LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
the
Three-year Demand
Demand Side Management
Side Management (DSM) Agreements between Government and the two power companies expired in June 2003. The DSM programmes included rebate schemes for lighting and air-conditioning systems for non-residential customers, as well as other education and information schemes. All rebate schemes ended on June 30 and education and information schemes were completed by year-end.
The Electricity Ordinance, with its subsidiary regulations, is the main enabling legislation on electrical safety. It sets out the legal framework encompassing all the areas within which the concerned legislation shall apply, including the registration of electrical contractors/workers and competent persons, the safety standards and requirements for electricity supply, electricity supply lines, electrical wiring and products.
The 2003 edition of the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations was issued in December, and served to give new and revised guidelines on technical requirements for compliance with the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations.
Since 1990, the regulations concerning registration of electrical contractors and workers, the safety of electrical wiring, the supply of safe household electrical products, and the protection of electricity supply lines from third party damage have come into effect in stages. At December 2003, some 8 700 electrical contractors and 59 000 electrical workers held valid registration. Also, some 880 competent persons had been approved for locating underground electricity cables.
During enforcement of the Electricity Ordinance in 2003, the Government conducted 13 000 site inspections to check the safety standards of electrical installations and electrical product supply outlets, and prosecution action was initiated in 207 cases.
Gas
Towngas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are the two main types of fuel gas widely used throughout Hong Kong for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes. In addition, LPG is used as a fuel for LPG taxis and light buses, and natural gas is used for electricity generation.
Hong Kong has about two million gas customers in the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. In 2003, Towngas accounted for 80 per cent of the total fuel gas sold in energy terms, and LPG for 20 per cent.
Towngas is manufactured at plants in Tai Po and Ma Tau Kok, both using naphtha as feedstock. They have output capacities of 8.4 and 2.6 million cubic metres per day, respectively. Towngas is supplied through an integrated distribution system to about 1.52 million customers. The mains network extends throughout Hong Kong via a 127- kilometre high-pressure pipeline and some 2 978 kilometres of distribution mains.
LPG is imported into Hong Kong by sea and stored at five terminals on Tsing Yi Island before being distributed to approximately 754 000 customers and LPG vehicle filling stations. In 2003, about 22 per cent of total sales was supplied in cylinders by some 222 appointed gas distributors (operating 603 cylinder wagons), about 14 per cent was distributed to bulk storage installations providing piped LPG supplies to residential and commercial developments, and the remaining 64 per cent to vehicle filling stations as fuel for more than 18 000 LPG taxis and light buses. Cylinder LPG is now used in less than 24 per cent of domestic dwellings.