ENG-1985 — Page 219

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

167

About 70 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 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 and vaporiser installations. The proportion of LPG supplied from these bulk installations will soon increase significantly from the present level of 30 per cent. Overall sales of LPG are increasing by approximately five per cent per annum, mainly in the form of piped gas to meet new housing demands, but also partly to replace kerosene in existing markets.

Towngas is produced at Ma Tau Kok by 12 cyclic naphtha reforming plants. At the end of January 1985, the newly expanded Ma Tau Kok plant capacity stood at 2.98 million cubic metres of gas per day. With the continuing demand for Towngas, the plant underwent further enhancement works during the year which increased its capacity to 3.68 million cubic metres per day. There are five gasholders with a total capacity of 113 282 cubic metres.

HKCG supplies Towngas to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and many towns in the New Territories. Supply is available throughout the urban area - including Aberdeen, Repulse Bay and Stanley on Hong Kong Island, Ap Lei Chau, Sha Tin and the industrial towns of Kwun Tong, Yau Tong, Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan and neighbouring Tsing Yi Island. Extension of Towngas supply to Junk Bay is being planned.

To meet increasing demand, both from the new towns in the New Territories and from the existing urban areas, construction of a second gas production plant in Tai Po began in March. Two units of the new plant are scheduled to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 1986 and two in the first quarter of 1987. These four units will add another 2.83 million cubic metres per day to HKCG's overall capacity.

In tandem with the new plant, 58 kilometres of high pressure transmission pipelines of 600 and 750 millimetres diameter are being laid to distribute Towngas throughout the New Territories. In two of the new towns, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, construction has begun on two LPG/Air plants to supply a temporary substitute for Towngas until gas from the new Tai Po plant can reach those areas.

Towngas sales are increasing at a rate of more than 14 per cent per annum, mainly as a result of increased sales to housing estates. Sales in 1985 amounted to 7.93 million gigajoules compared with 6.91 million gigajoules in 1984. Consumption and distribution statistics are at Appendix 30.