WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1977
EARLY DECISION ON DESALTER SAVED GOVERNMENT MILLIONS
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HONG KONG'S DECISION IN 1972 TO BUILD THE DESALTING PLANT AT LOK ON PAI RESULTED IN A SAVING OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, A P.W.D. WATERWORKS ENGINEER TOLD A LUNCHEON MEETING TODAY.
THE CHIEF MECHANICAL ENGINEER/DESALTING PROJECT OF THE P.W.D.'S WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, MR. Y.N. WU, SAID THE COST OF A SIMILAR DESALTER JUMPED TWO OR THREE TIMES FOLLOWING THE FUEL CRISES OF 1973.
+THE TOTAL COST FOR LOK ON PAI WAS $480 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDES ABOUT $360 MILLION FOR PLANT, $100 MILLION FOR CIVIL WORKS, AND $20 MILLION FOR MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS INCLUDING FEES FOR CONSULTANTS, MR. WU TOLD MEMBERS OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG
ISLAND EAST.
HE SAID THE PROJECT WAS PARTLY FINANCED BY A LOAN OF
US$21.5 MILLION FROM THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK.
MR. WU WENT ON TO SAY THAT FUEL IS THE BIGGEST SINGLE ITEM IN THE DAY-TO-DAY RUNNING COST OF THE DESALTER. THE DAILY FUEL BILL FOR EACH OF THE SIX EVAPORATORS IS ABOUT $68,000.
+OUR DESALTER AT LOK ON PAI IS ONE OF THE BEST DESIGNED AND HENCE MOST EFFICIENT DESALTING PLANTS IN THE WORLD, CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESALTED WATER AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE COST WHICH IS CURRENTLY BETWEEN $12 TO $13 PER 1,000 GALLONS, HE SAID.
DESALTING IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE SOURCE OF WATER IN HONG KONG, MR. WU SAID, BUT THERE ARE FEW OPTIONS.
BECAUSE OF ITS TOPOGRAPHY, HONG KONG HAS LITTLE NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE FORM OF LAKES OR RIVERS, AND AN EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF CATCHWATERS AND IMPOUNDING RESERVOIRS HAS HAD TO BE CONSTRUCTED FOR THE COLLECTION AND STORAGE OF WATER BROUGHT BY THE RAINS IN SUMMER.
HOWEVER, DUE TO THE LACK OF FURTHER LAND FOR CONVERSION INTO RESERVOIRS AND THE NECESSARY CATCHMENTS AREAS, HIGH ISLAND WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST LARGE-SCALE RESERVOIR TO BE BUILT IN HONG KONG, AND THEREAFTER, DEMAND INCREASES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE MET BY CONVENTIONAL MEANS.
HENCE IT WAS DECIDED IN 1971 TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF SUPPLEMENTING THE WATER SUPPLY FROM THE SEA.
IN ORDER TO TEST THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOCAL SEA WATER, AND TO PERMIT MAXIMUM DESIGN ECONOMY OF THE LARGE-SCALE DESALTER, AN EXPERIMENTAL DESALTER WAS PURCHASED AT THE BEGINNING OF 1971 AND OPERATED FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 20 MONTHS.
A CONTRACT WAS AWARDED IN 1972 FOR THE SUPPLY AND ERECTION OF THE MAIN DESALTING PLANT. WHICH COMPRISES SIX EVAPORATOR UNITS, EACH CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 6.67 MILLION GALLONS OF FRESH WATER A DAY (EQUIVALENT TO 30,300 TONS A DAY), MAKING A TOTAL OF 40 MILLION GALLONS A DAY (OR 181,800 TONS PER DAY).
THE FINAL TWO UNITS OF THE DESALTER WILL COME ON STREAM+ NEXT MONTH.
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