XN000022-1985-02-18 — Page 2

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1985

GOVERNOR OPENS LATEST POWER CONTROL SYSTEM

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THE NEW SYSTEM CONTROL CENTRE OF CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY WOULD HOUSE THE CORE OF THE LARGEST ENERGY CONTROL INSTALLATION OF ITS TYPE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

THE CENTRE, WHICH WOULD BE AT THE HEART OF A SUPPLY NETWORK EXTENDING TO ALL PARTS OF THE FAST DEVELOPING NEW TERRITORIES AND KOWLOON, WOULD ALSO BE EQUIPPED WITH THE FIRST LIGHTNING STRIKE MONITORING DEVICE TO BE INSTALLED IN HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD SAID AT THE OPENING OF STRAFFORD HOUSE.

BY SWIFTLY PINPOINTING SUCH STRIKES, DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION NETWORK WOULD BE MINIMISED.

EXPLAINING THAT ELECTRICITY WAS THE LIFE-BLOOD+ OF HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT MAJOR INVESTMENT IN NEW GENERATING PLANT READILY CAUGHT PUBLIC ATTENTION. BUT LESS WAS HEARD OF THE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO CONTROL THE GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICITY.

+THIS IS A VITALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE WHOLE SUPPLY SYSTEM. IT MEETS THE RISE AND FALL IN DEMAND, COPES WITH EMERGENCIES AND ENSURES THAT SUPPLY REACHES WHERE IT IS NEEDED,+ HE SAID.

THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT INTERCONNECTION WITH THE SYSTEMS OF THE HONG KONG ELECTRIC COMPANY AND, ACROSS THE BORDER, WITH THE GUANGDONG POWER COMPANY, HAD MADE THE JOB OF SYSTEM MANAGEMENT EVEN MORE COMPLEX.

THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO BE BUILT AT DAYA BAY WAS A SYMBOL OF THE RAPIDLY GROWING ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC AND AS THE LARGEST JOINT VENTURE IN WHICH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC HAD ENGAGED IT HAD A SIGNIFICANCE WHICH WENT WELL BEYOND THAT.

+ IN PRACTICAL TERMS IT WILL REPRESENT A FURTHER CHALLENGE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM IN THE EARLY 1990S. IN PARALLEL WITH THE EXPANSION OF OUR ECONOMY AND AN IMPROVING STANDARD OF LIVING, THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF HONG KONG'S ELECTRICITY CONSUMERS ARE BOUND TO INCREASE, HE SAID.

+THE INAUGURATION OF THIS ADVANCED COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEM AT STRAFFORD HOUSE WAS GOOD EVIDENCE THAT CHINA LIGHT AND POWER HAD BOTH THE FORESIGHT AND IMAGINATION TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AND TO MEET THE CHALLENGES WHICH THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY AND THE EXPANDING ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WILL PRESENT, SIR EDWARD SAID.

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