ENG-1997 — Page 294

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LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

Hong Kong has about 1.96 million gas customers. In 1997, Towngas accounted for 74 per cent of the total fuel gas sold in energy terms, and LPG for 26 per cent.

Towngas is manufactured in plants at Tai Po and Ma Tau Kok, both using naphtha as a feedstock. They have output capacities of 8.4 and 2.2 million cubic metres per day respectively. The gas is supplied through an integrated distribution system to about 1.17 million customers.

The mains network extends throughout Hong Kong via an 111.7-kilometre high- pressure pipeline and some 2 095 kilometres of distribution mains. A further 27 kilometres of high-pressure pipeline was completed in mid-1997 for supplying Towngas to Chek Lap Kok and Tung Chung on Lantau Island.

LPG is imported into Hong Kong by sea and stored at five terminals on Tsing Yi before being distributed to approximately 790 000 customers. About 59 per cent of total sales is supplied in cylinders by 524 distributors operating 765 cylinder wagons. The government aims to provide designated overnight parking sites for these cylinder wagons. The first two, at Tuen Mun and Kwai Tsing, have begun operations and a third site at Pok Fu Lam is scheduled to open in mid-1998. LPG is also supplied by road tanker to 170 bulk storage installations providing centralised piped gas supplies.

Since 1982, the government has encouraged the installation of a piped gas supply in new buildings to discourage further growth in the use of LPG cylinders in domestic dwellings. It also began a programme of encouraging the upgrading of sub-standard gas water heaters. The percentage of domestic dwellings now using cylinders fell to less than 29 per cent in 1997; and some 89 529 gas water heaters have been upgraded. As a further means of safeguarding the general public and gas consumers, the Gas Safety Ordinance was introduced on April I, 1991. This ordinance and its subsidiary regulations cover all aspects of fuel gas importation, manufacture, storage, transport, supply and use of gas. The legislation was amended in 1996 to encompass periodic examination of gasholders, deter damaging of underground gas pipes, improve safety requirements for the maintenance of gas installations and prohibit the importation and sale of certain types of disposable LPG containers.

Since April 1, 1992, all gas supply companies, gas installers and contractors must be registered with the Gas Authority (the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services) in order to carry out their operations. In 1997, eight gas supply companies, 3 434 gas installers and 454 gas contractors were registered under the scheme.

Natural gas became available in Hong Kong at the end of 1995 exclusively for power generation at the Black Point and Castle Peak power stations. It is imported from the Yacheng 13-1 gas field off Hainan Island in southern China via a 780- kilometre, high-pressure submarine pipeline.