ENG-1955 — Page 197

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND PUBLIC WORKS

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connects from there to the north-eastern tip of Lantao Island. It is expected that current will be installed on Ma Wan early in 1956, and when the entire scheme is completed all the main towns and villages on Lantao Island will have electric light. Detailed surveys for the transmission line were in progress at the end of the year, and it is the Company's intention to connect first the Silver Mine Bay area, heading thence along the south coast to Shek Pik and across the hills to Tai O, which is the island's largest town, with a population of about 14,000. No exact population figure is held for the whole of Lantao, but it is certainly over 20,000. Hitherto, apart from a few weekend houses with private generators in the Silver Mine Bay area, the only part to have electric light has been Tai O. During the year the China Light and Power Co. bought over the independently-operated Tai O Electric Company and is at present supplying electric light there on the same basis as before. The rate is $1 per unit.

The only other part of the New Territories to have its independent source of electric light is Cheung Chau, where there has been an electric power station in existence since 1913. Originally started as a community project, it later sold out to commercial interests and has since changed hands several times. The present owners, the Cheung Chau Electric Company, have their offices in Victoria. The basic rate is $1 per unit, with certain reductions for larger consumers.

Gas

Gas is supplied on both sides of the harbour by the Hong Kong & China Gas Co., Ltd., which was first established in 1861. The capacity of the plant, situated on Hong Kong Island, is 1 million cub. ft. per day, and that in Kowloon I million cub. ft. per day.

Before the end of 1956 the completely modern plant now in course of erection at Ma Tau Kok will be in operation with a capacity of 1 million cub. ft. per day. Current extension of plant on Hong Kong Island will raise the pro- ductive capacity of the West Point Works from 1,250,000 cub. ft. per day to 1,750,000 cub. ft. per day in 1956.

Total quantity of gas sold in 1955 was 587,011,700 cub. ft. as against 584,816,600 cub. ft. in 1954. The number of consumers rose from 7,686 to 8,447.