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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has renewed the licence of Castle Peak Power Station today (August 1), according to a EPD spokesman.

?The licence will be valid for two years beginning on August 1, 2005,? he said.

Under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, electricity works is a Specified Process,  which requires a licence from the EPD.

In this renewed licence, yearly emission caps on three air pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulates are, for the first time, included in the licence conditions.

Details of the emission caps are as follows :

                      Sulphur Dioxide     Nitrogen Oxides     Particulates

1/8/2005            54 000 tonnes     32 000 tonnes        2 100 tonnes
-31/7/2006      

1/8/2006            44 000 tonnes     28 000 tonnes        1 900 tonnes
-31/7/2007      

?This is the first step to meet the policy objective stated in the 2005 Chief Executive?s Policy Address to control air pollution through the imposition of emission caps on the power companies,? the spokesman said.

?Castle Peak Power Company is expected to meet the emission caps through various means, including maximising the use of natural gas and using coal with lower sulphur content,? he added.

The spokesman said that emission caps would also be imposed on the Black Point Power Station and Hong Kong Electric Company?s Lamma Power Station upon the renewal of their licences later.

Ends/Monday, August 1, 2005

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