The Environment 307
synthesise the geology of Hong Kong as well as a popular account of the geology of Hong Kong, in Chinese and English, have also been published. Geological information can be accessed from the website of the Civil Engineering and Development Department.
Energy
Gas
Town gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are the main types of fuel gas used in Hong Kong for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes. LPG is also used as a fuel by nearly all taxis and over 60 per cent of public light buses while natural gas is used for electricity generation and production of town gas.
Hong Kong has about 1.72 million town gas and 0.62 million LPG customers respectively in the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors, of which town gas and LPG respectively accounted for 84.7 and 15.3 per cent of the total fuel gas sold in these sectors.
Town gas is manufactured at plants in Tai Po and Ma Tau Kok which have daily throughput capacities of 9.66 and 2.6 million cubic metres respectively. A pipe network of some 3 400 kilometres supplies town gas to about 1.72 million customers.
LPG is imported into Hong Kong by sea and stored at five terminals on Tsing Yi Island before being distributed to customers including 62 LPG filling stations for LPG vehicles.
Natural gas is imported from the Mainland via submarine pipelines to the Black Point, Castle Peak and Lamma Power Stations for electricity generation and to the Tai Po Plant for production of town gas.
The Gas Safety Ordinance regulates the importation, manufacture, storage, transport, supply and use of fuel gas. Ail gas supply companies, gas installers and contractors must be registered with the Gas Authority (the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services).
Electricity
HEC supplies electricity to Hong Kong Island and the neighbouring islands of Ap Lei Chau and Lamma, while CLP Power supplies Kowloon and the New Territories, including Lantau and several other outlying islands. The electricity supply to consumers is 50 hertz alternating current while the voltage is 220 volts singlephase and 380 volts three-phase.
Both power companies are investor-owned. The Government monitors them through mutually agreed Scheme of Control Agreements (SCAs). These require the companies to seek the Government's approval for certain aspects of their development plans, including their projected basic tariff levels. The SCAs do not give the companies any exclusive rights. They are not franchises, nor do they define a supply area for either company, or exclude newcomers to the market.