ENG-2000 — Page 291

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

including rebate programmes for lighting and heating, ventilation and air- conditioning systems for non-residential customers, as well as other education and informational programmes, starting from July. The need for implementing rebate programmes for residential customers will be reviewed by the Government in mid- 2001.

The Electricity Ordinance, with its subsidiary regulations, is the main enabling legislation on electrical safety. It sets out the legal framework encompassing all the areas within which the concerned legislation shall apply, including the registration of electrical workers and contractors, the safety standards and requirements for electricity supply, electricity supply lines, electrical wiring and products.

Since 1990, the regulations concerning registration of electrical workers and contractors, the safety of electrical wiring, and the supply of safe household electrical products have come into effect in stages. At December, some 8 500 electrical contractors and 52 500 electrical workers held valid registration.

A new regulation, namely the Electricity Supply Lines (Protection) Regulation (ESLPR), was prescribed in April to protect electricity supply lines from damage during works activities, in the interests of safety and of ensuring the continuity of electricity supply. Provisions of the ESLPR concerning the Code of Practice, approval of training courses and registration of competent persons for locating underground electricity cables came into effect on June 14. The remaining provisions will take effect on April 1, 2001.

In 2000, in enforcing the Electricity Ordinance, the Government conducted 13 000 site inspections to check the safety standards of electrical installations and electrical product supply outlets, and 679 prosecutions were instituted against violations.

Gas

Gas is widely used throughout Hong Kong for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes. Two main types of fuel gas are available for general use: Towngas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Hong Kong has about two million gas customers. In 2000, Towngas accounted for about 74 per cent of the total fuel gas sold in energy terms, and LPG for about 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 1.4 million customers. The mains network extends throughout Hong Kong via a 122-kilometre high-pressure pipeline and some 2 788 kilometres of distribution mains.

LPG is imported into Hong Kong by sea and stored at five terminals on Tsing Yi Island before being distributed to approximately 770 000 customers. About 59 per cent of total sales is supplied in cylinders by 336 appointed gas distributor shops. operating 619 cylinder wagons. There are three designated parking sites for LPG cylinder wagons, located at Tuen Mun, Kwai Tsing and Pok Fu Lam. LPG is also supplied by road tankers to 148 bulk storage installations providing centralised piped LPG supplies.

239