雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】THE GOVERNMENT has put forward two options in a public consultation exercise on the fuel mix for electricity generation over the next ten years. One option is to purchase directly from the China Southern Power Grid (CSG) an amount of electricity sufficient for 30 percent of Hong Kong's electricity consumption. This would mean breaking the monopoly of the electricity business held by CLP Holdings and HK Electric.

英語

政府就未來10年發電燃料組合，提出兩個方案諮詢公衆，其中向南方電網（下稱南網）直接買電，佔本港發電比例三成，性質上有打破中電與港燈的壟斷地位的意味。

普通話

In its attempt to improve air quality, the government wants to cut pollutant emissions from power generation by reducing the reliance on coal. In addition to asking the two local power companies to make greater use of natural gas, the government was at one time inclined to increase the purchase of nuclear electricity. However, following the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, many countries and regions have switched to a more cautious approach to nuclear energy, and the government has decided against the increase. Now, with some of the electricity generators operated by the two power companies going to be retired in the next few years, the government has come up with a proposal to purchase electricity directly from the CSG to meet Hong Kong's electricity needs.

英語

政府推動發電減排，減少依賴燃煤，以改善空氣質素。過去，政府除了要求兩電採用更多天然氣發電，另外傾向增加購買核電，但是，3年前福島核電廠的災難，使得許多國家地區對核電取態轉趨謹慎，特區政府也改變思路，不增加輸入核電，提出直接向南方電網買電，應對未來數年兩電部分發電機組陸續退役的用電需求。

普通話

According to the government's consultation paper, the "grid purchase" option has a number of merits. For instance, non-fossil fuels account for 44 percent of the CSG's total generation capacity, and fossil fuels, 56 percent, the generation fuel mix being 62 percent thermal, 31 percent hydro, 6 percent nuclear, and 1 percent wind. So, theoretically, the purchase of CSG electricity could mean the introduction, for the first time, of clean fuels into Hong Kong. However, there is no way to find out what fuels would be used to generate the electricity to be supplied to Hong Kong. This is likely to be a focus of concern and discussion, especially among environmentalists.

英語

諮詢文件列陳向南網買電有不少好處，例如南網的發電量，其中非化石燃料佔44%，化石燃料佔56%，發電燃料組合火電（62%）、水電（31%）、核能（6%）、風能（1%）；若本港向南網買電，理論上本港可引入原本沒有的潔淨燃料，不過，南網供應本港的電量，是用什麼燃料發電，無從查究，這一點，相信會引發特別是環保人士的關注和討論。

普通話

But what is most important is power supply reliability. The consultation paper does not provide a track record of the CSG's supply reliability over the 12 years since its establishment in 2002, but only says that "the reliability of this option hinges on the availability of electricity for supply to Hong Kong", that "it is technically feasible for Hong Kong to import more electricity from the mainland", and that "studies of the detailed technical issues" will be carried out. Apparently, the government does not know much about the CSG's supply reliability and stability. Importing CSG electricity on a massive scale should be considered only if the government is satisfied that the electricity will be as high quality and reliable as that supplied by the two local companies.

英語

供電可靠性是重中之重。南方電網於2002年成立，12年來這個電網的可靠性，諮詢文件並無往績介紹，僅有「這個方案的可靠性有多高，取決於是否有足夠電力供應給香港」的說法，另外則是「從內地輸入更多電力在技術層面是可行的」、「我們會進行詳細的技術研究」等，云云，看來政府對南網供電的可靠性和穩定性，所知也不多。政府必須確保有類如兩電的高水平、高質素，才考慮大量輸入電量。

普通話

Two things are clear from public discussions about the fuels for electricity generation. First, the costs must be low. Second, to reduce pollutant emissions, the public is willing to pay more. With regard to costs, the nuclear electricity purchased by CLP Holdings from the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station costs about$0.5 per kWh, while CSG electricity costs about $0.8 per kWh, which is much more expensive. However, as nuclear power is not included as an option in the government's consultation paper, it is not introduced into public discussion. We are of the opinion that nuclear power should also be considered.

英語

以往，社會對採用什麼能源發電，有兩方面討論，一是電價低廉，一是認同為了減排，願意為此多付電價。關於較低廉電價，現在中電向大亞灣核電站買電，每度電約0.5元，較南方電網供電每度約需0.8元，廉宜很多，但是政府的諮詢報告並未將之列為選項，社會、市民無從討論。我們認為，政府大可繼續將核電列為一個選項。

普通話

As many citizens are willing to pay more for environmental protection, and as hydropower from Yunnan constitutes part of CSG electricity, the government should bring forward a proposal that the electricity to be supplied to Hong Kong must come from hydropower plants in Yunnan. If it is eventually found that this would push electricity costs beyond the financial reach of the public, the government can at least congratulate itself on having tried.

英語

香港不少市民有意願為環保多付電價，南方電網既然包括雲南的水力發電，政府理應提出一個方案，指定供港電量來自雲南的水力發電廠。若電價成本計算出來，整體社會根本不可能承擔，也算是政府盡了交代的責任。

普通話

明報社評 2014.03.20

■Glossary

reliability ﹕the quality that something can be trusted to work well

kWh ﹕kilowatt-hour; a unit for measuring electrical energy equal to the power provided by one kilowatt in one hour

constitute ﹕be the parts that together form something

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Raymond Ng

HKCC Lecturer

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/social_communication/details.php?id=75&lang=eng

袁振華

香港理工大學中文及雙語學系講師

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/social_communication/details.php?id=92&lang=chi

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