THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1975
"MASSIVE INVESTMENT' NEEDED FOR ADEQUATE POWER SUPPLY
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THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. JIM ROBSON, SAID TONIGHT THAT THE DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY IN HONG KONG WAS STILL GROWING DESPITE A RECENT SLACKENING DUE TO THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE.
SPEAKING AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE FAR EAST CONFERENCE ON ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY INDUSTRY, HE SAID THAT IT WAS STILL DIFFICULT TO FORESEE WHERE THE EVENTUAL DEMAND FROM ALL SOURCES WOULD BEGIN TO LEVEL OFF.
HONG KONG NOW HAS A SUPPLY POTENTIAL OF OVER 2,000 MEGAWATTS, WITH EQUIPMENT ON ORDER OR CURRENTLY BEING INSTALLED TO INCREASE THIS BY SOME 30 PER CENT.
HOWEVER, HE SAID, FORECASTS BY THE INDUSTRY INDICATE THAT THE PRESENT DEMAND COULD DOUBLE BY 1985 AND IT IS +A MATTER OF CONCERN TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT ADEQUATE SUPPLIES ARE MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES IN THE FUTURE.+
THIS WOULD MEAN +CONTINUAL MASSIVE INVESTMENT+ IN ADDITIONAL POWER GENERATING CAPACITY, AND +SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT+ IN NEW TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES WITH THE DISPERSION OF THE POPULATION AND INDUSTRY AWAY FROM THE OLDER URBAN AREAS.
IN FACT, MR. ROBSON SAID THAT CAPITAL EXPENDITURE BY HONG KONG'S TWO MAJOR POWER COMPANIES ON NEW EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN RUNNING AT THE RATE OF ABOUT $300 MILLION A YEAR IN RECENT YEARS.
HE ADDED THAT AS SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT HE WAS VERY CONCERNED WITH THE IMPACT WHICH NEW GENERATING STATIONS AND TRANSMISSION LINES WOULD HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT. BUT HE WAS GRATIFIED TO SEE THAT THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY WAS NOW GIVING SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THESE MATTERS.
TURNING TO THE QUESTION OF NUCLEAR POWER, MR. ROBSON RESTATED THAT IN HIS OPINION NUCLEAR-POWERED PLANTS PRESENTED A FAR LESS THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAN TRADITIONAL FOSSIL FUEL POWER.
HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT THE TECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS AND PLANNING NECESSARY FOR SETTING UP A NUCLEAR POWER STATION IN HONG KONG WERE BEYOND OUR RESOURCES, AND LARGE SCALE TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER COUNTRIES WAS CLEARLY REQUIRED.
MR. ROBSON WENT ON: +IT MAY BE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE CRUNCH, HONG KONG WILL FIND THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMBARK UPON A PROGRAMME FOR NUCLEAR POWER AND A DECISION WILL BE MADE TO CONTINUE USING FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS.+
/IF THIS WERE