ENG-1984 — Page 244

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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In 1978, the company was granted a site on Lamma Island for a new dual coal or oil-fired power station. Phase one of this station was completed in March with the commissioning of its third dual coal/oil fired 250 MW unit, making a total phase one capacity of 750 MW. Phase two will consist of two 350 MW units and will ensure that the company can meet rising electricity demand in the future - a demand that has grown over the last decade from 442 MW in 1974 to 1 221 MW in 1984, an increase of 176 per cent.

HEC's transmission system operates at 275 kV, 132 kV and 66 kV. Distribution is effected mainly at 11 kV and 346 volts. With the exception of a small proportion of 132 kV overhead transmission lines, the entire transmission and distribution system is underground or by submarine cable. The electricity supply is 50 hertz, 200 volts (single phase) and 346 volts (three phase). For larger consumers, supplies at high voltage are also available.

The transmission systems of CLP and HEC are interconnected by a cross-harbour link. This interconnector, which was commissioned in 1981, now has a capacity of 480 MVA; when completed, it will have a total capacity of 720 MVA. The interconnection brings cost savings to consumers through economic energy transfers between the two systems and a reduction in spinning reserve requirements.

CLP's system is also interconnected with that of Guangdong Power Company of China and about one million units of electricity are exported to Guangdong Province each day. This interconnection results in better utilisation of the company's generating plant during off-peak demand periods and allows power to be fed from Guangdong to the company's system when necessary.

As a future means of providing additional electricity for the territory, the Hong Kong Government has indicated its willingness, in principle, for Hong Kong to purchase power from a nuclear power plant to be built at Daya Bay in Guangdong Province. It is intended that the nuclear power station will be built and operated by the Guangdong Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company in which the Guangdong Nuclear Investment Company (GNIC) will have a 75 per cent interest and the Hong Kong Nuclear Investment Company (HKNIC) will have a 25 per cent interest.

Negotiations between GNIC and HKNIC on the contractual arrangements which will provide for the formation of the joint venture company reached their final stages in December and it was expected that the company would be formed early in 1985.

The nuclear power station will comprise two 900 MW nuclear reactors. The first unit is expected to enter commercial operation in mid-1991 with the second unit entering service a year later.

Main electricity statistics and sales figures are at Appendix 30.

Gas

Gas is supplied for domestic, commercial and industrial use as conventional Towngas by Hong Kong and China Gas Company (HKCG) and in the form of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by most of the major oil companies in Hong Kong. Towngas accounts for approximately 45 per cent of the total gas sold and LPG for 55 per cent. The customer split, however, is approximately 300 000 for Towngas and 900 000 for LPG.

About 80 per cent of the total LPG sold is distributed through a dealer network in portable 15-kilogram cylinders. This is the most widely used form of gas supply in Hong Kong at present but as a result of recent government action to improve gas safety, all LPG supplied in future to new housing developments will be in the form of piped gas from bulk storage/vaporiser installations. The proportion of LPG supplied from these bulk