ENG-1947 — Page 143

during the Japanese occupation, and it was only with difficulty that on the liberation of the Colony a generating capacity of 17,000 kw. was achieved. As a result of strenuous efforts on the part of the company's staff, the capacity has been greatly increased and at present stands at 25,000 kw. supplied by high pressure equipment and 16,500 kw. by low pressure equipment. The capacity of the boilers is 232,000 lbs. The demand for current has continued at a very high rate and, to satisfy this demand, it has been necessary for the plant to be operated almost continuously without proper overhaul and without maintenance up to the normal standard. For this reason and particularly in view of the non-arrival of essential spares for the generating station, it was necessary during the year under review to limit the peak load to 16,500 kw. In spite of this restriction, 2,223 new consumers were connected to the supply during 1947, and at the end of the year the total number of consumers was 38,227. In addition, 257 street lamps were replaced: this work had hitherto been severely delayed by the shortage of cables and spare parts. Altogether 63,983,401 units of electricity were sold by the company during 1947.

The charges for electric current were successively reduced during the year as operating conditions improved. In January the charges for lighting and power for domestic consumption stood at 48 cents and 16 cents respectively. By December, these figures had been reduced to 37 cts. and 14 cts. A pro- portionate reduction was also effected

was also effected in the charges to industrial consumers. The cost of coal and other materials continues to be high and further reduction in the near future is not considered to be likely.

It is not expected that this company will be able to increase its output of current during 1948 and it may well become necessary even to apply further restrictions on the supply at peak load periods. New equipment ordered in England in 1945 and due for delivery in the latter half of 1947 has not yet arrived and the present equipment being generally in an over- loaded and overstrained condition must be husbanded as well as the circumstances permit. Plans are well advanced for the conversion of a part of the existing boiler plant to oil firing. It is hoped that in due course this will result in further reduc- tion in the charges for supply of current to consumers.

The China Light and Power Co., Ltd., who are suppliers of electricity to Kowloon and the New Territories, have made great strides in the rehabilitation of the Company's undertaking during the past year. Reconditioning of the 12,500 kw. turbo alternator, which had not been brought into operation since the war, was completed during the year and the total generating capacity of the station in December, 1947, amounted to 30,500 kw. A further 20,000 kw. high pressure turbo alternator is at present being erected and when this has been done the total capacity

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