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WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1986
+COMPARED WITH MANY POWER STATIONS, DAYA BAY IS NOT CLOSE TO HONG KONG, HE SAID.
MR JACOBS MOVED ON TO SAY THAT THE INVOLVEMENT OF GOVERNMENT FLOWED FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE SCHEME OF CONTROL.
THE SCHEME REQUIRED CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY AND ITS ASSOCIATES TO SUBMIT A FINANCING PLAN FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WHENEVER MAJOR PROPOSALS FOR MAJOR ADDITIONS TO THE COMPANY'S SYSTEMS HAD BEEN FINALISED.
+THUS, STRICTLY SPEAKING, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ONLY NECESSARY FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO HAVE BEEN FORMALLY CONSULTED WHEN THE DAYA BAY PROJECT WAS WELL ADVANCED, HE SAID.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE COMPANY NEEDED AN ASSURANCE THAT A FINANCING PLAN SUBMITTED IN THE FUTURE SHOWING PURCHASES OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE PLANT WOULD NOT BE DENIED APPROVAL. THEREFORE THE CONCLUSION WAS REACHED IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT BOTH THE GUANGDONG POWER COMPANY AND CHINA LIGHT SHOULD RECOMMEND TO THEIR RESPECTIVE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES THAT THE JOINT VENTURE SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED.
+THE GOVERNMENT'S PRIME CONCERN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SCHEME OF CONTROL IS, OF COURSE, TO ENSURE THAT CONSUMERS GET A FAIR DEAL,+ MR JACOBS SAID.
BUT IN THE DAYA BAY PROJECT, ANOTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WAS THE SAFETY OF THE PLANT BOTH IN CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION, HE SAID.
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JOINT VENTURE COMPANY HAD EXPLAINED THAT THE DESIGN BASIS FOR FRENCH POWER STATIONS, TO WHICH THE DAYA BAY PLANT WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR, WAS THAT NO EVACUATION MUST BE NECESSARY 10 KILOMETRES OUTSIDE THE PLANT EVEN IN THE EVENT OF A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
THE ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY AND THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY ALSO REQUIRED THAT THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL SAFETY STANDARDS WOULD GOVERN THE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, ERECTION, AND COMMISSIONING AND OPERATION OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT.
AND IN THE LIGHT OF THE ADVICE RECEIVED FROM CONSULTANTS IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE PURCHASE OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS AND FURTHERMORE THAT ON TECHNICAL GROUNDS THE STABILITY AND RELIABILITY OF HONG KONG'S OWN POWER SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED.
+SO WITH THE BENEFIT OF ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT ADVICE AND AFTER CONSULTING THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, WE INFORMED CHINA LIGHT AND POWER OF THE GOVERNMENT'S WILLINGNESS, IN PRINCIPLE, TO ENDORSE AN OFFTAKE AGREEMENT, MR JACOBS SAID.
/HE LAID THE